MyRedPacket.co.uk Blog

We’ve all heard that, haven’t we? The saying that every picture says a thousand words. What about the frame you mount this photo in though? Could this say a few words as well?

Words such as the day the photo was taken, who its subjects are, what the occasion was…rather than displaying a picture then wondering, months or years later, just where you were and when - have it emblazoned across the bottom of the frame itself then there’s no forgetting.

My mum thought she could mark her photos by writing on the back when and where it was took, so in years to come and her memory filled with numerous other ‘occasions’ she’d still be able to tell. Only she forgot to think that when a photo is in a frame it means dismantling it to read this precious information!

Photo frames make wonderful gifts, especially those that are personalised. Sure to make a loved one smile is a frame that says “You’re the best!” - topped off with a photo of the person in question inside. Of course, the beauty of personalised photo frames is that you can choose your own message, so whether it says, “Welcome, Baby Jack” or “Congratulations to the happy couple”, or maybe “You are the reason I wake with a smile” or “Thanks for everything, Mum!” it’ll mean so much to the person you give it to.

This beautiful frame is perfect for a new baby boy and gives you the option to pop his name and date of birth:

A personalised photo frame is a perfect gift for a couple getting married, especially if you can give them it after the wedding and once your pictures have been printed. Why not aim to give them a picture of the evening do or reception - one that’s not contrived or already captured by the wedding photographer? I’ve often thought the photos taken by guests truly reflect the happiness and ambience of someone’s wedding far more than nervously taken, posed images.

Add the date of the wedding and their names on such as this photo frame, and hey presto! A personal, thoughtful and undeniably beautiful gift:

The design feature that makes this frame look as if it’s sat on an easel is a definite quirky touch.

A wedding day goes by so quick, especially for the bride and groom, making all reminders gratefully received!

If you’re anything like me, the advent of digital cameras and mobile phones has meant that although I take as many photos as ever I did before, they stay on my camera or device. I don’t seem to get round to printing off the picture and framing it which is such a shame. If someone did that for me as a gift, I’d be so touched, I can’t tell you.

Photo frames seem to have gone out of vogue in recent years but why, I don’t know. I still love to look at photos of my family in days gone by as much now as I ever did, and having them all stuffed in a drawer or filed away in an electronic folder somewhere is quite sad.

Perhaps you have a relative that lives quite far from you; far enough to visit only once a blue moon when it’s possible. A truly special gift is a photo frame of you and your family - chances are you’ll all have changed since your relative last saw you.  For some families, photos are the only way to keep in touch - despite the advent of FaceTime, Skype and similar technology, some of us just have no interest in the digital revolution! Personalising it with a ‘Miss You’ or ‘To the Best Nan’ makes a gift like this all the more special.

It’s a good thing a picture tells a thousand words as we couldn’t fit that many on the photo frame! It doesn’t matter though, because it really does only take a few well-chosen words to tell a loved one how much you adore them.

Spring is a-coming!  Summer will soon be here and the goose is getting fat….sorry, wrong season.  Whereas we all picture brides wanting to bask in the sunshine, you’ll also notice a spate of christenings once the weather starts to thaw and the sun shows its face.  Therefore, here are our suggestions for the perfect christening gifts!

If you think hard, you’ll notice that few christenings are held when the weather is drab and the temperature is minus fifty.  Perhaps it’s the thought of standing in a draughty church, or how many layers you’d need to place on the baby to make sure they wouldn’t die of hypothermia.  There’s not many christening outfits made from fleece.

Instead, we imagine our children’s christenings as sunny, happy, family occasions where we don’t mind getting out of bed at an unearthly hour on a Sunday morning (alright, 10.30am) because it’s a lovely day.  No one wants to book an event that starts amidst a heavy morning fog or over snow crystals.

A christening isn’t time sensitive either - unless you leave it years and the vicar can no longer lift the 22 year old over the font for the baptism - a few months until the warm weather rolls around again doesn’t seem to worry most parents planning their service.

But what of the gifts?  Should we take inspiration from the sun and buy gifts such as this:

A beautiful and practical gift - bright and pretty, and adorned with lush leaves, not bare twigs spattered with snow.  Personalised for the little cherub, giving them reason to think that they’re such a VIP they even get their name emblazoned across their dinnerware, when the rest of us have to make do with plain plates at mealtimes.

Traditional gifts are always welcome at christenings, perhaps more so than at other occasions; most mothers want to remember how big their baby’s wrist was with one of these bangles:

Because they expand to fit your baby for at least a good few months, when the bangle is not worn, the expanding part reverts back to its smallest size.  This is what you’ll get out of your keepsake box - when they’ve left home for university, for a job or for their sanity - and shed tiny tears over.  “Look how little they were,” you’ll simper.  (Yes, but look at what you’ve got - your life back.  Hooray!)

That could be the main reason why we don’t ‘move on’ with christening gifts - why traditional gifts such as rattles and silver photo frames are so popular.  A christening is a traditional service and even though the modern equivalent is a naming ceremony, most parents want the customary christening, even if it’s the only time they’ve stepped foot in a church that year…or even, decade.  Weddings are being held at stately homes or other places of interest more and more, which could see the amount of people actually booking a church for their family event sharply decline.  But a christening just doesn’t feel the same if it’s not in a church - just as christening gifts aren’t the same if there’s not a silver money box in sight.

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!

Stuck for buying a gift for a child?  Unsure of what ‘they’re into’?  Fear not; there are plenty of gifts to choose from that aren’t part of the churned-out commercial ranges you see in the shops.  Gifts that will delight, inspire and educate - what else could you ask for from a little girl or boy’s gift?

Most people put a lot of thought into buying a gift for an adult, but I suspect far less into one for a child.  They may be unsure of what the little girl or boy wants, fearing that an unwanted gift will never see the light of day whereas an adult would still appreciate and use anything they receive.  This could give way to a ‘that’ll do’ mentality - I’ve been guilty of it myself - but wouldn’t you feel better knowing that your gift is one of the best things the child in question has ever received?  That it’s captured their imagination?

With all the fantastic generic gifts for children out there, you can be sure there is something that will not only be very well-received but a present that will last longer than the current fad.  For instance, Ben 10 was (and maybe still is) all the rage with young boys.  The range of accompanying merchandise is plentiful but the same gifts are produced; e.g. frisbees, notepads, keyrings, tableware - just decorated with the pictures and logo of the latest craze.  You are in effect, buying the Ben 10 name as far more attention is paid to the fact their hero is emblazoned across the gift than the item itself.  Yes, it would be ‘wicked’ for the child to receive a frisbee with Ben 10, but six months later, when they’re no longer into him, it won’t see the light of day from their toybox.

There are some great gifts that will capture their imagination with much more longevity.  For instance, there are some great remote-controlled gifts out there, from cars to helicopters and so on - gits that the birthday boy will enjoy but also their dads too!

The Disney princess range is vast and little girls are so enraptured by fairy tales when they are little (in fact, forever) that they love anything that Belle, Cinderella and Snow White are perched on.  But what is firing their imagination?  Where is the interaction?

Take a look at these for gift ideas:

The exotic jungle will be loved by both boys and girls who will be fascinated about growing such things as their very own Venus Fly Trap!  The ColourYourOwn umbrella will make them wish for a rainy day - not only for the time to decorate the umbrella but to use it too.  These gifts give them space for their imagination but also turn into either practical or educational items.  They could launch their future careers; there could be mini-botanists and designers amongst us!

For something truly out of this world:

This fantastic gift will wow children of all ages and gender.  Designed to not only reproduce the night sky on their ceilings, it also has an accompanying CD that can teach them about the stars they are seeing.  Perfect for any kid that refuses to go to bed - they’ll be begging to go!

Buying a gift with some interaction, or something that’s educational, can be good for the parents too.  A child will enjoy eating from their Ben 10 melamine bowl, yes, but how many would love to play ‘Racing Grannies’ or ‘Fighting Grandads’ with their mum or dad?  Not literally, of course, these are toys!  The child enjoys the game but also the quality time with their parents.  And us grown-ups can vent some steam pitting one particular ‘grandad’ against the other!  The child in us never really goes away, you know!

We hope this has inspired you to look past the commercial gifts that can be found anywhere and instead choose something that garners a child’s skills and imagination.

When buying christening gifts do you buy a gift with only the child in mind or do you buy a gift for the parents that is centred around their child?  For instance, would a small baby appreciate a silver plated, engraved photo frame?  Not really, but their parents would love it.  Would they be interested in a rattle ornament, or piggy bank or an item of jewellery?  Some people buy teddy bears which would be a great playmate for the child but their parents are unlikely to want to play with it too!  Take a look at these traditional gifts for some ideas:

I don’t think this is quite the dilemma it sounds; most of the traditional christening presents mentioned above will not make anyone bat an eyelid, least of all the baby who is most probably only concerned with filling his belly or his nappy.

It is quite popular to hold a baby’s christening in the summer, because just as with weddings, it’s nice to imagine everyone stood happily outside the church posing for photos with the sun beating down.  A christening or similar occasion may be the only time some families see each other or get together if they are a large group or live across the country.  The mood at a christening is always jolly, after all, you are in fact in celebration - celebrating the birth of this new baby into the world.

Naming ceremonies have become more popular in recent years.  These are basically the same as a christening service but have less religious connotations and can be held in a function room rather than a church.  This is an increasing trend as some parents want the family get-together but don’t place as much importance on the role of the church.  This may give anyone attending a but of a problem when buying a gift - do you buy them something traditional, or something a little quirky or unusual?   For a chistening gift that’s a little different, have a look at these:

Definitely different!  They also both have an element of fun, which sets them apart a little from the more traditional gifts.  This is just a small sample of the range that MyRedPacket have to offer, so be sure to browse through the other items too.

Godparents have the great honour of being the child’s unofficial guardian which means they are more likely to be involved in the child’s life.  Therefore, a gift of a more personal nature, such as an engraved christening bracelet would be a good idea, giving you the chance to add your own message, such as, “Always looking out for you, kid!”.

Again, because babies are far more caught up with other things such as crying, sleeping and nappy-filling, I wouldn’t worry too much that the keepsake you buy is far more welcomed by their parents.  Once the child has grown into an adult it will be nice for them to look at the christening gifts they were given that day - let’s face it, without keepsakes and photos, they’re not likely to remember any of it!

Have you been invited to a christening this summer?  Tell us where and when, even forward a photo and we’ll include you in one of our blog posts.  The rain is beating down quite heavily as I write - I hope it clears out in time for your special occasion!