MyRedPacket.co.uk Blog

That’s how things are measured in our house, having two children (well, one child and one pre-teen monster).  In anticipation of the Christmas gifts and full stockings from Santa, the most important countdown of the year has now begun.

Advent calendars have been broken into and the first few windows are bereft of their chocolate treats.  Parties are being planned at their schools and I’ve been instructed what gifts to buy their best friends.  Of course, parents have been planning Christmas, even if only in thought, from mid-September - from eyeing up what the popular gifts are this year to listening with ears of a bat whenever the words, “I wish I had….” or “I want xxx for Christmas” were mentioned in the house.

Mums and dads will already have been buying gifts in their droves, keen not to let that coveted toy or precious gift become out of stock, for fear of a disappointed child at Christmas.  Then we try and get organised with our wrapping; hours of painstaking origami and reams of paper all for a few minutes of frantic ripping come Christmas morning.  It may be at this point, when you’re gathering your purchases together for a mammoth wrapping session that you get to take stock of what you have bought.  The wine has been poured, Christmas songs are playing on the radio and you’re surrounded by paper, bows and sticky tape - but, horrors of horrors, you’ve got that sinking feeling that you’ve not bought enough.

Quite often, at this point, I’ll think, “That doesn’t look much”. I know it’s daft when the gifts they’ve asked for are there, when my purse won’t ideally allow me to carry on spending and thoughts of managing spoilt children come into my mind along with images of starving children in Africa - BUT, sometimes, to ease my own guilt, I’ve bought a few extra, inexpensive gifts to bolster my kids’ piles on Christmas morning. 

I’m ashamed to say this, but I bet I’m not alone - rationality goes out the window and I don’t think of the financial and moral consequences of buying more, just of how bad I feel that one child has a little more than the other and therefore it’s not ‘fair’ or what I thought was ‘enough’ now looks stingy.

Luckily, there are plenty of gifts that will capture children’s imaginations yet won’t break the bank.  The kinds of gifts that your kids won’t necessarily have asked for but will be thoroughly thrilled to receive.  Chrsitmas Gifts for Children like this:

Just £2.99 - yet a gift that will thrill little children who may have wanted a pet but for valid reasons, can’t have one.  Great for toddlers too, these ‘magic’ fish start small then swell when water is added, making them adorable make-believe pets.  Their very own Nemo and friends!

Or how about this:

A great gift for little boys (and perhaps girls too!) which is both fun and practical.  Each car ‘flattens’ making them perfect for travellling or hiding in little pockets!  At £6.99 this unique car set is an ideal stocking filler.

If you have already bought similar items or haven’t the time to sit and think of ‘filler’ Christmas gifts (perhaps you’re sick of hearing about Christmas - there are days when I can’t wait for it to have come and gone already!) why not just plump for an easy option and order a pre-filled Christmas stocking?

Already brimming with gifts, these can be ordered specifically for girls, boys, and other relatives too, with appropriate, relevant gifts inside.  You don’t have to do anything other than order it - no planning and no wrapping!  At £12.99 they’re a wonderful last-minute life-saver!

Plenty of people panic-buy gifts with little time to spare - there are even those that relish the danger of leaving everything until the last minute.  Whilst the Christmas countdown has officially started, there is still plenty of time to make sure you have everything you need.  And I mean EVERYTHING!  There will come a point, in the last throes of the Christmas shopping days where you won’t be able to run out for that extra gift because the day will be upon us.  Gather your gifts together now and make sure you’e happy with what you’ve got. 

But if not - look no further than MyRedPacket!

It’s only really a worry at Christmas; gifts are not given in respect of just one person but exhanged between family, friends and acquaintances.  You may well find it easy to remember family and close friends when planning your Christmas gift list but for anyone who has ever been surprised by an unexpected caller bearing gifts, you’ll know that having a couple of ’spare’ presents or generic items at the ready is just sensible, and a sign of your organisational forward-planning!

These could come from mums at the school gates that you’ve got closer to over the past year, a colleague who you’ve helped and who wants to mark their appreciation or a neighbour that descends with little warning.  A lovely surprise but one which you may naturally feel obliged to return. 

All may buy you a little token; you’ve heard of phrases “bearing gifts” and “not turning up empty handed”.  Out of sheer politeness, some may buy you a generic gift - generic, because they don’t know you too well and are therefore not able to buy something matching your tastes.

Would you be embarrassed if someone called round with a nicely wrapped gift and you had nothing in return?  If this is something that wouldn’t bother you, you’re lucky.  I would squirm with a need to reciprocate and not being able to do so.  I’ve even seen myself in these situations looking at my kitchen cupboards for unopened chocolate or other goodies (Note: this would indeed be a rarity in our house).

The great thing with keeping a couple of generic gifts like this on standby is that you can leave them wrapped and put them away for next year should they not be ‘used’.  If you buy something like this:

…as long as it can be kept somwhere without being crushed it should last indefinitely.  Inside are practical items, facecloths, that are inoffensive to anyone and fabulous to look at.  A great gift for anyone of any age, whether they’re from work, neighbours or friends of friends.

Spa packs, gardening tools, car kits - all great gifts for adults of both sexes who would effortlessly find a use for them.  For the kids, something like this:

…would be fascinating for boys or girls - or both, pitting against each other!

Perhaps you have relatives or friends that live quite far away meaning any gift you send has to be offloaded through the post.  It’s probably easily forgotten when rushing round for Christmas presents to forget that that inexpensive but bulky item may cost more than its own worth to post on.

Vouchers are practical in this event but I find them highly impersonal.  It doesn’t look as if you’ve placed any thought towards the gift in my eyes.  The only time vouchers are okay is when trying to buy for teenagers.  They don’t welcome a gift you’ve chosen as it will automatically, by default, be uncool, yet to give them money would give you the worry about what they’re spending it on; vouchers are, in this instance, a good compromise.

So, for your far-flung recipients, think of smaller presents.  For example, gifts such as this charm bracelet:

It looks expensive but it’s not, which will also be reassuring should it get lost in the post.  Cheap to send and something the recipient will love.  Make sure you have a list of the Christmas posting times; cards can be posted much later than parcels so it’s worth sorting these presents out as soon as you can.

The boy scouts’ motto is to be prepared - I think it should be Father Christmas’ tag line too!

Not every child wants the Top Ten gifts for Christmas.  Some may hanker after an Xmas gift that’s a little more creative - something that keeps their interest a little longer than a hunk of plastic with flashing lights.  For these kids, the perfect gift is the fabulous range of laboratory kits and projects that are available, called ‘Wild Science’.

Technology is such a part of youngsters’ lives that even my six-year old has asked for a netbook from Santa as her second-hand laptop is too slow.  (She actually has a very logical mind and can work the machine far better than her clod-handed father.)  Kids love to find out how things work and to keep on top of the latest gadgets and technology - yet perfect Christmas gifts for children should have an element of fun too - which is why the Science/laboratory range of gifts are ideal.

You may not see the fascination with making your own slime but kids will love it!  This is not just a boys’ gift - girls will enjoy getting messy too.  The whole process is educational, they learn about the physical properties of the goo and what makes it that gungy consistency; before long, they’ll have it dripping from their noses, pretending it’s snot, just as Aunt Edna comes round for a Christmas drink.

They can even make their own ‘powerballs’ too - something that would only last an hour or two in our house before our dog would chew them to bits.  Still, at least it would keep him from eating my slippers.

For any budding botanists and nature lovers out there, they could look after their own exotic jungle. In this natty little kit are all the required elements to rear exotic plants - including their very own carnivorous Venus Fly Trap!

These creative, educational gifts could trigger a whole career path for youngsters.  Considering that most little girls want to be Cheryl Cole or Katie Price, if we can steer them towards a career in science or nature it will be well worth the effort!

Robots are fascinating to kids (and their dads too!) and this next kit will not only give children all they need to build their very own but the substance they’re made from is a scientific anomaly.  Floam is a microbead compound and although maleable, it stays rigid enough to form shapes.  Better than a plastic robot that could smash to smithereens should your kids fight over whose turn it is to play with it next.

Kids love to create things, so inexpensive stocking fillers could include something as simple as some felt pens and a blank colouring pad.  Perfect for travelling and something even older children would use.  Craft kits have seen a revivial in recent years; after some celebs were snapped knitting on set between takes, it saw a huge resurgence.  Needles and wool were flying off the shelves!

There’s something very satisfying about using or wearing something that you’ve made yourself - and very welcome in this economic climate.  Mini sewing machines are available nowadays, aimed specifically at children; in jewelled colours, they’re a great investment and you may find you’ve a budding designer on your hands!

This next gift choice is great as a stocking filler for creative kids.  Not only will they have their own umbrella, (something that gets argued over every time it rains in our house) but they’ll be able to make it completely unique.  The kit comes with special paints that means your child could put their own stamp on this practical gift.

Kids will be praying for a rainy afternoon - to either get engrossed in their science kits or to show off their individual umbrellas!

This Christmas, why not buy someone a gift that’s a little different?  They’ve probably had all the soap sets, socks and cookery books that life can throw at them, which, admittedly, don’t take too much from one’s imagination to buy.

A naming gift is such a personal thing and completely unique to the person you’ve bought it for.  Not sure what a naming gift is?  Look at this:

This name a rose gift is not just great for a gardener - this gift would suit anyone this Christmas.  Contained inside the presentation box is a variety of rose that has yet to be named. And one which can be named after the recipient.  Don’t you agree that this is a very unusual, personal gift - after all, how many people, other than celebrities, have a flower named after them?  Neither is the name ‘just between you’ - no; once named, the variety of rose will be published in the International Rose Naming Registry which appears in the British Library.  Something to boast about at parties, wouldn’t you say?

That’s not all you can ‘name’.  This next Christmas gift is literally out of this world: Name a Star

You can take a currently nameless star and call it after your wife, husband, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, sister, brother….or dog, if you like.  They will receive the co-ordinates and a guide on how to find their star which will remain named after them forever.  The name will also be registered in the Star Registry which will be submitted to the British Library.  If you think your loved one is a ’star’ you can now put your money where your mouth is!

Talking of space, you can send a message into the cosmos too.  Once you’ve decided on your message - “Happy Christmas Darling”, or whatever else floats your boat, send it to the broadcasting centre detailed in the gift box and they will beam it into space - this can, theoretically, be detectable for 1,000 years.  So, it’ll last longer than that set of pans you were going to buy them.

These gifts are ideal for those that are otherwise hard to buy for.  You know, those people that seem to have everything.  Well, I doubt they’d have their own rose.  Or their own star.

There’s more.  You can dedicate a tree after someone.  This gift sees a physical sapling placed in the ground on their behalf.  It won’t ever belong to anyone else, it will always be theirs.  Not only a special gift for your loved one but you’d be doing your bit for the environment too.

For the young ones, you can give them their own magazine - well, sort of!  If they race to the newsagents each Tuesday to get their latest copy of Closer magazine then this gift will be right up their street come Christmas. 

This personalised magazine notebook is just ready to be filled with all the gossip and stories happening in their world and could set them on the path of becoming a roving reporter!  The cover of the book can be personalised so that their name is part of the headlines!  It’s a much more preferrable way of getting on the front cover of Closer mag than falling out of a nightclub like most drunken Z-listers.

There’s so many gifts that you can personalise which just adds that extra dimension.  You cannot be accused of ‘not putting enough thought into it’ when you’ve gone to the trouble of having their name emblazoned across the front.

It’s a given that there are thousands of Christmas gifts out there but most are just a current twist on a traditional item.  By choosing these unusual, unique gifts you are ensuring your loved one doesn’t forget it in a hurry.

After all, how can they?  It’s literally named after them!

There’s already a flurry of Christmas gift adverts on the television and Xmas ranges are springing up in the shops; just when do you start your shopping?

Personally, I’m starting to get itchy feet round about now.  I hate leaving things to the last minute yet I’m not one of these super-organised women who can have everything bought and wrapped in the summer.  I think the major push for Christmas gift shopping is after Halloween and Bonfire night; once these are out of the way it’s easier to concentrate on Christmas.  With no other holidays to distract you, it’s a subtle nod to get a move on and your Xmas shopping underway!

Presents for mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and the little ones can all be found under our virtual roof.  Whether you’re wanting to purchase an endearing, unique stocking filler or spend a little more to spoil your loved one, we’ve got something for everyone.

If your husband/brother/dad has been watching with unwavering trepidation Rooney’s “shall I stay or shall I go” palaver, then you can safely say he’s a Manchester United fan.  We’ve a whole host of memorabilia and personalised gifts, just like this following dressing room print:

Perfect for his office or study (you may draw the line at displaying it in such as the bedroom or bathroom where you’ve got to sit and look at it), it will be a talking point with other members of the male species and start hour-long discussions as to whether Rooney’s worth his humungous pay deal.

Men find Christmas shopping hard; for some reason, they struggle to find presents for their wife, mother or sister.  It’s not that the appropriate Christmas gifts aren’t out there - because they are!  Worry no longer - for any man wanting to spoil a woman who’s special to him, look no further. 

You’ve heard how the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right?  Well, the way to a woman’s heart is through….her heart!  Spoil her, make her feel as if she means the world to you.  Go above and beyond what she expects of you this Christmas (which admittedly, probably isn’t that much!).  Put some real thought into her Christmas gift…or cheat. 

How?  Well, why not send her a personalised poem?  Before you jump to the conclusion that these have to be romantic ones - they can be, but they don’t HAVE to be.  They can be humorous with just a little dash of appreciation thrown in.

And the best thing of all: you don’t even have to write it!  Pop some personal details about the lady in question, e.g. her likes and dislikes, funny anecdotes, etc, onto our questionnaire and we do all the work.  At just £29.99, this is the present that will not be forgotten by the New Year; instead, she’ll keep it with her forever.  Each poem (once the content is agreed by you) is sent on a scroll like the one below:

If this type of gift is a little too personal for you, i.e. you’re shopping for someone like an aunt, uncle, or more distant relative, then we have plenty of generic Christmas gifts too.  How about something like a vibrating neck massage cushion - specially shaped to fit comfortably around the recipient’s neck as they sit?  Not only will this support their neck but it will relieve any tension and stimulate their circulation.  It can be taken anywhere and is a perfectly practical gift for someone who enjoys travelling.

Another great gift for a relative is for them to trace your family’s history through your surname.  The popularity of shows such as “Who do you think you are?” has revived people’s interest in tracing their family tree.  This is the perfect gift for anyone in your family and could even spur on a new hobby for them - or even, a new career!

Presented in an attractive luxury gift tin, it includes information about the particular surname, how to trace your family tree as well as items to help begin your quest.  All the information is compiled by heraldic and genealogical researchers and makes fascinating reading.

If you do choose to leave your Christmas shopping until nearer the day itself, just bear in mind delivery times and stock availability.  The benefits of starting earlier is that it leaves plenty of time for you to find and secure the perfect gift - and ensures you get to it before everyone else does!

Come Christmas time, many retailers find plenty of ways to make you part with huge chunks of money.  But what if you’re restricted to a tight budget for a loved one, or you’ve laid out for the big presents and just want a few gorgeous stocking fillers?

Luckily, we have beautiful gifts that are around just a tenner - or in some cases, even less! Attractive, practical and great quality, they look a lot more expensive.  Such as:

Beautiful, high-quality cotton towels presented in such a way that they look like scrumptious gateauxs!  At just £3.99 each you can afford to buy them for all your nearest and dearest as a practical, quirky gift and still have some left over to buy a couple for yourself!  They would look great in your guest room - attractive yet accessible should someone come to stay at short notice.  They’d also perk up any bathroom and would bring a smile to any recipent’s face when unwrapped on Christmas morning.

Whilst we’re on the subject of practicality - what about a candy bra?  I hear you: Practical - a candy bra? Yes, practical in the way that’s it’s not just a decorative item - you can satisfy your sweet tooth as well as…..well, let’s just leave that there, shall we?!  Just ask your husband if you get the chance of a ‘quiet night in’ just how to get full use of this item - or even leave this page on the computer as you walk away and see if it gives him any naughty inspiration!

Another inexpensive stocking filler that would be a great Christmas gift for any loved one is this hand warmer.  Practical, and only £3.99, it would be great for your husband as he cheers your son on when playing football or rugby over the cold, winter months - or perhaps a gift for Dad as he walks the dog?  Just in case they should ever forget how much they mean to you, it’s in an endearing heart shape as well.

Most of the stocking fillers I buy are for my kids.  There’s a whole host of Christmas gifts that are just a few pounds, yet will bring hours of delight.  You may have spent £100 on the latest gadget or toy but at some point, they will get bored of it - the laws of averages dictate this!  Then the dreaded words come: “I’m bored”.  You grit your teeth after remembering they’ve had triple figures spent on them in total but before you blow your top, make sure one of their stocking fillers is something like the one below.  Then suggest they spend an afternoon playing with this next gift:

A fantastic kit for little boys to make putrid slime, but even girls will love getting ’slimed up’ too!  For just £7.50 they could spend hours concocting all sorts of goo and keeping out of your hair (but probably getting it into theirs instead).  It may warrant a good tidy up when they’ve finished but it’s a small price to pay to keep them busy just long enough until they return to school in the New Year!  You may even inspire a renewed interest in science!

Take a good look at our range of stocking fillers and inexpensive Christmas gifts.  You’ll find something for everyone and maybe even some for yourself.  At such great prices, you can afford to treat yourself too!

They say life’s greatest wonders are the little things - and if you are lucky enough to move to another country, or if someone close to you does instead - it’s the little things that you miss.  We may spend bucketloads on ‘main gifts’ or try and make it look as if we’ve money to burn - but why?  Surely it’s just enough to buy gifts you know those closest to you will love.

How many companies organise a Secret Santa throughout its work force at Christmas?  If your company does, do you take the chance to buy a work colleague a beautiful, thoughtful gift, or do you try and make them smile (or your other colleagues smile, at least) by buying them a prank gift or novelty item?

Perhaps for the other 364 days of the year the person whose name you draw out of the hat is an absolute pain in the rear.  You know you can’t do anything about them (bullying and harrassment laws have seen to that) so an embarrassing Xmas gift may be a chance to get one over on them.  Maybe you’ll get your boss’ name and look forward to giving him/her a prank gift, knowing the Secret Santa system gives you complete anonymity?

What about a kit so that your male boss can care for his, ahem, appendage? 

Imagine how red his face will be when he opens it in front of all your other colleagues - many of whom will be fighting the temptation to shout that the apparatus is far too big!  It certainly pays him back for any time he may have humiliated you in front of your workmates.  Let’s not pretend that that sort of thing doesn’t happen; I know first-hand that it does!

Perhaps something a little tamer.  How about a swear tin?  You could give this to one of your workmates and let them police it.  It depends how generous they are as to what the contents could be spent on (they could decide to pay for a round at the Christmas do, or they could just keep it for themselves.  Bah.); however, they can’t dip in and out of it - once the money has dropped into the tin, they’ll need a tin opener to get it back out. 

What with loo roll covered with either puzzles or jokes, fake parking tickets and ASBO notices, pens that give electric shocks, clocks that go backwards (blasphemey for the office wall - who wants to spend any more time there than they have to?), hilarious stress relief toys - there’s something for everyone.

That’s assuming you want to get them something that will provoke annoyance, anger, embarrassment or laughter.  Perhaps you just want to get them a normal, traditional Christmas gifts.  There are usually spending restrictions with Secret Santa which is half the challenge - finding a decent gift for a tenner or thereabouts.  However, this could still buy a nice pair of slippers, some ear-rings or smellies for the girls, or a car-kit, sock set or beer glass for the blokes.

For under £10, you could buy a colleague a wind-up mobile charger for their business phone, a ‘Splat Stan’ coaster for their morning cuppa or a tape dispenser in the shape of an old-fashioned VHS video tape.  You could even choose to buy all your colleagues a gift - their own coat hooks - then there’s no arguing about who puts their jacket where on a morning.

Whether you’re buying your colleague’s Christmas gift to delight or deflate them - just remember, someone has the duty of getting you a gift too!

Just as you’re packing away the Christmas tree and any unwanted Christmas gifts (so that you can recycle them to Great Aunt Maud next year), it seems no time at all before you’re getting all the festive decorations out again.

They say time goes by more quickly as you get older which is definitely true, but the thing is, you don’t notice just how quickly the year has gone until it’s a few weeks away from ringing the new one in. 

Kids love the magic of Santa and it’s fantastic as a new family to think that in a few years, your baby will understand the meaning of Christmas and get all excited when they think this jolly guy with his big belly and faithful reindeers will be landing on their roof.  A few years on from this, then that’s it - they’re sullen teenagers that scorn at the thought of Santa, saying, “I know it’s you, Mum”.  By this time, after a few years of running ragged, trying to find a shop that still has this year’s Number One toy in stock, you’re kind of grateful for their attitude.  For once, an unknown chubby man in a red suit isn’t going to take the credit for all your hard work.

Fast forward another few years and your offspring has left to go to university, or, even if they’re home, they’re never in.  Christmas means lots of parties, right?  Another couple of years down the line and they’re at your house again….only with their own family in tow.

So how do you hang on to those memories? 

Simple, make sure you record them in some way, because you’ll never get them again.  In this digital age, where it seems we take twice as many pictures and videos but never get round to downloading them from our phones, it may take a little more effort to place that picture of your little one opening their presents in an actual frame.  But believe me, it is so worth the time it takes you.

Place it in an eye-catching frame, like the one below, to make sure you don’t skim your eyes over it all the time.  Memories are so precious, you don’t want them to become just another ornament that you have to dust.

Giving a memory as a gift to your parents is something they’ll treasure - as they’ll probably realise it’s harder to get a picture of you or their grandkids than it it would be getting blood from a stone!  Take a picture of your whole family and place it in a beautiful frame - wrap it up as an extra Christmas gift for your mum and dad and see the smile on their face. 

Alternatively, take a few photos - perhaps take ones of your siblings’ families too and place them in an album like this one:

This is particularly poignant if you rarely see your parents due to distance.  It’s also a lovely gift to give them if they have to stay in hospital or in respite care of some sort.  You could never know how much something like this could mean to them.

For someone who may want to have their favourite Christmas memory hung on their wall where they can see it every day, take a look at this canvas.  Not only will it display your print but you can also place a message alongside it - perhaps even the date of the photo and the occasion, say, if it was taken of someone’s wedding - or some other memorable date.

You may think that you haven’t the time for taking photos and capturing memories - you’re too busy.  But just think - once everything has died down and you’re not busy any more - you may not get a second chance to capture your loved ones and their memories.  When you think about it, what can be more important?

So, we’re already in the middle of October and very soon the frenzy for Christmas shopping and buying Xmas gifts will get underway (if it already hasn’t).

There’s 65 shopping days left, as of today, which is literally every day until Christmas - because, with online shopping and weekend opening hours, there isn’t a day that you can’t shop.  This sounds quite heartening to someone like myself that hasn’t started yet.  It’s not because I don’t know what to buy, or that I haven’t found the time, it’s just that I save all year with a Christmas Club and they don’t pay out for another 4/5 weeks.  I’m actually bursting at the seams to get going!

People argue each year that Christmas has become too commercial, but I don’t think it has got worse in this respect, it just seems that way because there are so many wonderful gifts for your loved ones out there.  From the ‘must-have’ toys for the kids that echo their favourite cartoon characters - such as Dora the Explorer; Ben 10, etc. to the latest consoles, laptops and mobiles for the teens.  (P.S. The X-Box magic eye is going to run out of stock as soon as it appears on the market!).

As for the lady in your life, diamond earrings or an unusual piece of jewellery, like these charm bracelets, are sure to light up her face more than the Christmas tree’s bulbs!

If you’re the romantic type - or rather, if you want her to think you’re the romantic type - why not name a star after her?  Then wait for a clear night and spend the evening drinking champagne and looking at the night sky - she’ll think you’re out of this world.  (Sorry…)

If you want to treat your husband, and the X-Box gadget has sold out (because, let’s face it, he’s a big kid at heart), think of other novelties that will take him back to his childhood.  Remember Scalextric?  Buy him this modern version - wind-up grannies that race against each other with their zimmer frames; his friends will be jealous, and this will be the focus of your Christmas evening once the drink is flowing!

If the shopping days start to run out in front of your eyes and panic sets in, you can even buy pre-filled Christmas stockings.  Such a relief to know that these Christmas gifts are available - with relevant contents too; there’s stockings available for kids, for women and for men.  The element of surprise is not only there for the recipient, but for you too, as you won’t know for sure what goodies are in them until the morning itself!  So, when you’re extoling all your ‘oohs’ and ‘wows’, they’ll be genuine as your loved one dives into their stocking!

Your teenager now suspects (they may not actually be 100% sure) that Santa is just a fantasy.  It’s sad when they’ve grown out of the magic, the Christmas lists and leaving out the carrot for Santa’s reindeer, but, on the other hand, they’re more appreciative of their presents in a way, because they realise how much trouble you’ve gone to.  Almost all teenagers have laptops or computers as part of their bedroom furniture, so why not get them this bendy keyboard that lights up too?

Online shopping has revolutionalised our Christmas planning as you don’t need to rush anywhere; all the shopping can be done at your convenience, from your armchair, and delivered directly to your door (just in time for you to hide them in the loft!).  Why would anyone want to join those never-ending Christmas queues?

Depending on how early or late you like to do your Christmas shopping, soon everyone will be in full Christmas shopping mode, whether it will be searching for individual Christmas presents or a variety of Christmas stocking fillers.

When it comes to looking for stocking fillers, there is such a large choice, and this in itself can make it quite a time-consuming task. Traditionally, stocking fillers tend to be relatively small, inexpensive and often ‘obvious’ items such as chocolates, sweets, stationery for the kids or toiletries for adults. However, there really is not reason not to ‘think outside the box’ a little to try and make opening a filled Christmas stocking that little bit more unique.

In this short article I am going to compile my own top 10 stocking filler ideas for men, women and children to include gifts which are a little bit different and also falls within the important criteria of being inexpensive. This, I hope will help you not only to save time and take the stress out of searching endless ideas, but to help you buy things that are a little bit different.

Stocking Fillers for Men

1. Men’s toiletries such as shaving foam and deodorant- although yes, these types of fillers may be a little ‘obvious’, there is no getting over the fact that they are useful and are always needed by man. Why not buy his most-liked brand?
2. Gadgets- it’s true to say most men love gadgets. The key is to buy small and inexpensive gadgets to put inside a stocking. I would recommend items such as a Sonic Keyring Finder, Credit Card Sized Card Light or and Emergency Phone Charger. All these 3 items are small and inexpensive, the highest cost being the emergency charger at £6.99.
3. Novelty and Funny gifts- Christmas is mostly about fun and laughter, so putting a funny novelty present inside a stocking will no doubt go down a treat in Christmas Day. Gifts such as The Screaming Flying Monkey, and The Arse/Face Scented, both at £4.99, are not just fun but will cause much laughter!
4. Essential Accessories – for example, if one of your fillers is in fact an emergency phone charger that requires batteries, why not slip in a couple of packs of batteries to go with it!
5. Munchies- now, you really can not go wrong with putting in a range of his favourite sweets, chocolate bars or biscuits.  

Stocking Fillers for Women

1. Beauty and Toiletry Gifts- it’s fair to say most women, if not all, love to be pampered, look and feel good. So why not put in a couple of her favourite soaps, essential oils or bath salts?   
2. Gadgets- not all gadgets are for men! An excellent stocking item that falls within his category for women and is inexpensive are flashing mobile phone charms eg MoPods and of course the Emergency Phone Charger. The MoPods attaches to her mobile phone and the little character flashes and spins when the phone rings. Priced at just £4.99, it won’t put a dent in your pocket.
3. Novelty and Funny Gifts- I would recommend funny and inexpensive wind up toys, such as the Racing Grannies or the Chicken and Egg Race. The fact that they can be played with 2 people adds that extra bit of fun to Christmas. Both are £7.99.
4. Essential Accessories- again, batteries are a prime example. Or maybe a new Ipod Arm Band, for her to use when she’s running or at the gym?
5. Munchies- I would recommend self-indulgent chocolate bars or the more healthy options such as dried fruits.

Stocking Fillers for Children

Most Children always wish for the latest toys or games from Santa, which are often much higher priced. I would leave out this type of gift as the main present, and concentrate on finding small and inexpensive fillers. My 5 ideas are:

1. Christmas Light Up Boxing Pens- these fun pens are of Santa, Snowman or Rudolph. They have boxing arms operated by a lever, and light up when you write. Price at merely £1.99, why not put one of each character in the stocking!
2. Small miniature toy cars are loved by all boys.
3. Flashing or glow in the dark toys- for some reason, most kids seem to have a liking to toys that flash or glow. Therefore why not add one of these to his toy collection, such as a Flashing LED Strobe Ball. This is a bouncy ball which, when bounced flashes in an array of colours. Examples of glow in the dark would be stick on stars for his bedroom. Both can be bought at less than £3!
4. Jumping Beans- children seem to have so much energy and love to run around like crazy. I’d therefore recommend a box of Jumping Beans which wriggle and jump unpredictably for the kids to try and catch. As it is Christmas, why not let them try chase and catch the beans to their hearts content! A box of 5 jumping beans can be bought for less than £2.
5. Arts and crafts- for the quieter child who prefers to draw and make thing, I would suggest a set of fashion doll stickers, colouring pencils or a mini arts set. Kid’s craft are very popular, easy to find and also very cheap!

I hope that this list has given you some ideas for this year’s Christmas Stocking Fillers to help with your Christmas Presents.