Gift Ideas for Women

Gift Ideas for Men

Gift Ideas for Girls

Gift Ideas for Boys
Gift Ideas for Kids

Gift Ideas for Professionals
Gift Ideas for Anglers
Gift Ideas for Footballers
Gift Ideas for Gamers
Gift Ideas for Golfers
Gift Ideas for Chess players
Gift Ideas for Athletes
Gifts Ideas for Bikers
Gifts Ideas for Driving Enthusiasts
Gifts Ideas for Music Lovers
Gift Ideas for Film Enthusiasts
Gifts Ideas for Martial Arts Enthusiast
Gifts Ideas for Swimming Enthusiasts
Gifts Ideas for Technology Geeks
Gifts Ideas for Book Lovers
Gifts Ideas for Whiskey Enthusiasts
Gifts Ideas for the Home Bartender
Gifts Ideas for the Astronomer

Why Men have always wanted practical things – like Tools and Gadgets

The male has always been the hunter-gatherer, the warrior, the provider of  food, shelter and protection to his tribe and family.  To fulfil this role he developed tools to hunt, fish and harvest food for his family, tools to fight off predators and tools to build shelters and homes for his family. He progressed to taming wild animals (horses, camels, elephants) to afford him transport to his hunting grounds, to carry materials to build his shelters to protect  his family.  As he found time to relax, he made tools to paint and to carve ornaments, built instruments to play music, made crude jewellery of beads and stones to adorn himself to appear attractive to the opposite sex, engaged in sport  to stay fit-  even learned to distill his own crude liquor to get drunk after a victory!  When a man was given a gift by his ‘Chief’ or his colleagues to celebrate an achievement – it always fulfilled the same base instincts:  ie a special hunting knife, a special rifle, a special medallion to show off–and sometimes even a mighty stallion!

Men still prefer practical Tools and Gadgets as Gifts

Today, gifts for men are still tools, gadgets and gizmos which fulfil the same instincts.  Men no longer have to depend on hunting tools to provide for their families , but the instincts to use tools, gadgets and gizmos to make things or do things   has endured.  Men continue to have hobbies and interests to engage or relax them – why some still like fishing,  if only for pleasure, and shooting – even if its only paint-balling!  And men still  want a social life – even if its just to have a drink and a laugh with their mates.  For some men the crude stone jewellery has been replaced by gold jewellery and watches.   And although men no longer use a horse to get about, the  stalliion has been replaced by his hot motorbike or make belief ‘Ferrari’!

Why Men don’t always get Emotional or Excited about Gifts

Emotionally, man had to be brave and portray to predators and enemies that he was strong and composed and therefore invincible. Any sign of emotion would portray him as weak and make him vulnerable. This is why men don’t get as excited and emotional as women and children about most things – including opening Christmas gifts! It’s nothing personal – it’s just a man thing. Men are just more practical – a woman might say boring – but practical none the less. If a man needs any of the tools or the means to fulfil his role as provider and protector, or to stay fit, or to engage him physically or mentally, or to relax – he just does not wait until Christmas!

Still Looking for Gifts for Men

So if you ladies are still wondering about gift ideas for your man, be it for your boyfriend, husband, brother or your dad, just think about the  tools and gadgets and gizmos he could  use to get jobs he wants to get done – both at work and around the house; the gadgets and gizmos that go with his particular interests or hobbies;  the gear that goes with the sport he plays; the stuff he uses to relax eg:  the films he watches, the music he listens to , the instruments he plays;   the bling in which he likes to pose;  not forgetting  the  gadgets, gizmos and accessories he could add to his ‘wheels’ , whether its his hot car,  his hot motorbike – or even just his hot mountain bike!

Over the next few weeks I hope to post specific gift ideas for men with particular interests or hobbies including:

Gifts for Bikers – Gifts for Car Enthusiasts – Gifts for Music Lovers – Gifts for Film Enthusiasts – Gifts for Martial Arts Enthusiast- Gifts for Footballers – Gifts forRunners – Gifts for Swimmers – Gifts for Geeks – Gifts for Book Lovers -  Gifts for the Whiskey Lover – Gifts for the Home Bartender – Gifts for Accountants – Gifts forLawyers -Gifts for the Engineer -Gifts for Office Worker – Gifts for the Astronomer – and more…..

Please feel free to add your Comments or Suggestions in the Comments section below.

Great Places to Buy Gadgets Gizmos and Tools for Men

Does the person you’re buying a gift for like listening to music while commuting, cycling, running, working out or whilst doing anything else?

Does he or she like to capture casual video footage of funny, amusing or unusual events to share with his or her friends?

If so, the new, 5^th generation iPod Nano is an ideal present. With the new iPod Nano you can not only listen to music, but watch music videos or any other video clips.  What’s more, it has a video camera so you can spontaneously take video clips of any event you want to record.

Video Recording and Playback

To use the video camera, all you have to do is scroll through the menu and select – you can then record video in portrait or landscape mode.  You can choose from fifteen video ‘special effects’ eg: film grain, motion blur, tunnel vision, cyborg – and more, to add special character to your fun video clips. It has an integral mic and speaker, which allows you to capture and playback audio, so when you play back your video clips on the iPod Nano, you’ll hear the recorded audio with it.   You can also use it as a Voice Recorder to record and play back personal notes etc.  The video file sizes are small and ideal for emailing to your friends or uploading to Facebook, YouTube or other social media or video sharing networks.

FM Radio with ‘Live Pause’

Should you wish to listen to your favourite radio programme while traveling or working out, the new iPod Nano comes with an amazing new feature: ‘Live Pause’ which lets you pause the radio programme, rewind it- as far back as 15 minutes, replay it and then fast-forward to catch up with the live broadcast – all with a click!  The FM tuner also has RDS support that lets you see the names of songs and artists you’re listening to on the radio.

‘Genius’

‘Genius’ allows you to sync your iPod Nano with iTunes music on your computer and create up to 12 ‘Genius Mixes’ –  which are genre based ‘channels’ of similar music -which you can choose from to play according to your mood.   You can also create ‘Genius Playlists’ of selected tracks ‘on the go’ with a a few clicks, to listen to right away or save for later.

Other Features:

Other features include:  ‘Cover Flow’ which enables you to scroll through album art for the song you want to hear – or you can just revert back to normal mode to select a track to listen to or to add to your ‘on the go’ playlist.  ‘Shake to Shuffle’ allows you to play music randomly – so with a simple shake of the iPod Nano you can change the song currently playing to another random song.

The new iPod Nano comes with a larger 2.2” screen, in nine cool colours and a shiny aluminum finish.  The 8GB version can store up to 2,000 songs or 8 hours of video.  The 16GB version stores up to 4,000 songs or 16 hours of video – probably enough for the most avid music or video enthusiast.

The only criticism of the iPod Nano is that the video camera is standard definition. So although video quality in normal lighting is acceptably good  for casual use, it is not high definition – like my Flip Ultra HD 8GB reviewed in an earlier post.  However, you have to remember that the iPod Nano is the world’s best music player first – with an  FM radio and a handy and fun video camera thrown in.

So, if the recipient needs or wants a fantastic music player – with an FM radio with really cool features – plus the ability to take casual video on the go, then look no further than the new iPod Nano. It is extremely good value for money and is in great demand this season, so order yours early before stocks run out as we get closer to Chrismas!

iPod Nano Range and Colours still in stock at:

Amazon UK

John Lewis

Play.com

Most physical gifts have a limited life.  They wear out, or stop working.  Often they become obsolete – or we just get bored with them because we are distracted by something new.  For many of us, we already have all the jewellery, clothes, accessories, gadgets etc. that we are likely to need.  Some of us would rather buy these things ourselves to ensure that we get exactly what we like and what we will really use -  rather than have somebody buy something that will never get used.

Experience Gifts on the other hand may last several hours to a several days, but the memory of the experience lasts for much longer – often forever, especially if the experience is captured on photographs or video.

There are many experiences to choose from for the person for whom you are buying the gift:

For Women:

Pampering Experiences

Buying a pampering gift experience for her will allow her to unwind from the stresses of work,  taking care of the home, the children and of course you!

Most pampering gift experiences include access to the health club, gyms, spas, steam rooms, sauna and a variety of treatments from facials to massages to relax and rejuvenate.  There are quite a few options available ranging from a few hours to weekend breaks.  Venues are available around the country so she won’t have to travel too far – and anyway you can make it a break for two so you can drive her there and enjoy the break with her!

An example of such a pampering experience is the One Night Break, Dinner and Treatment at The Malvern Spa for 2 described HERE

Makeover Experiences:

Which woman doesn’t want to dress up and get her makeup done by an expert so she looks and feels stunning?!  She can indulge herself in this experience where she will be snapped by a professional photographer while looking fabulous.  The experience generally includes a make-up session, getting her hair done, before being photographed in various clothes and with various backgrounds. She will get to see all the photographs, get a large free print and the chance to buy any others she might like.

An example of such a makeover experience is the Deluxe Makeover and Photo Shoot Experience for One described  HERE

Makeover Experiences:

Deluxe Makeover and Photo Shoot Experience for One

• Makeover Experience by a beauty expert,  including a Photoshoot to preserve the memory

• Personal Shopping Experience -  for the shopaholic, with her very own personal stylist
• Pole Dancing Experience-  for the fun loving, with group sessions taught by professional dance instructors

For Him:

• Driving Thrill Experience in a supercar eg: Ferrari, Lamborgini, Aston Martin
• Indoor Sky Diving, Bungee Jumping Experience etc for the adrenalin junkie
• Speedboat and Ribcraft rides for those who love speed on water
• Flying Lessons and Helicopter Tours for thrills in the air

For Couples:

• Spa Days for two including use of gym, pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna
• Sightseeing Lunch Cruise and London Eye Trip for two
• Day Trip to Paris with Lunch for two
• Romantic Hotel Breaks for two

A note of caution:  As Experience Gift Voucher is generally valid for no more than a year and sometimes somewhat less, so the experience will have to be booked by the expiry date as many retailers will not extend them.  This can be a problem where the experience is popular – for example the voucher could still be valid for another two months, but the experience itself is booked up for the next three months!  So when you give an experience gift voucher, make sure the recipient is aware of the expiry date and books the experience early.

Keep this advice in mind, an experience gift will be one remembered for many years to come.

See More Experience Gifts – that will be remembered!

This camcorder definitely makes my list of top gifts for this Christmas and after. Why is it different to any other camcorder?  Well, most traditional video cameras, however impressive their specifications or their cost, tend to stay in their box and only come out when we go on holiday or when we want to record a special occasion. For most of us they are too valuable to  risk damage by daily casual use. Also, they are often not small enough to carry about or to use without some fiddling. Not so with the Flip Ultra HD. 8GB.  It is so convenient to use, you will use this camcorder quite casually- almost daily:

• It is barely larger than a mobile phone, so small enough to fit in your pocket and carry around
• Easy to use with only a single big red button for ‘record’ and ‘stop’, buttons for fwd/play and rwd,  and a button for zoom.
• It records video for up to 2 hours in HD quality — yes HD quality!
• It connects directly to your LCD TV via an HDMI lead  for direct playback of video.
• It ‘plugs’ directly to your laptop via its integrated USB arm (no leads) for charging and downloading video recordings.
• No software to be downloaded from a disc.  The Flipshare software is downloaded automatically to your laptop when you first plug in the Flip Ultra HD.  You can then download the video recordings and also share video clips via email or upload video clips to YouTube.

I got a Flip Ultra HD 8GB as an anniversary present from my wife recently and it is nearly always in my pocket or by my side for use at a minutes notice, to record the ‘moments’ I wish to save and  for future viewing by family and friends and indeed by later generations. Of course I do have a really good incentive and video ‘subject’ at present — my two year old grandson who does something new and amusing nearly every time we see him and I just cannot help recording his amusing antics and viewing them with all the family later. I intend to use it a lot over the Christmas holidays.

Whether you just want a fun everyday camcorder to record your mates being silly,  important ‘firsts’ or  amusing actions of  your children or grandchildren growing up,  or a handy fun camcorder you can use  ‘on the go’  to capture unusual, amusing or important  events as they occur - the Flip Ultra HD 8GB is indispensible.

A word of caution: The model reviewed here is the Flip Ultra HD 8GB version which gives you two hours of HD quality video and comes in black or white. Do not confuse it with the Flip Mino HD 4GB, also a good little camcorder, but which will give you only one hour of video — or other similar models which give you only standard definition video recording.

The Flip Ultra Ultra HD  8GB model is extremely popular this year with an ideal price point for a Christmas present.   Currently, it is not widely available and merchants who do have them are selling out rapidly – so if you decide to buy one you will have to order right now!

The following online merchants still have stocks of the Flip Ultra HD 8GB model, but you will have to hurry!

Amazon

Play.com

Laskys

Firebox

Whether Christmas gift shopping makes you grumpy. or you just don’t have the time to trudge the high street, there is an easier way to perform this annual ritual.  Over the past year or so I’ve discovered that getting gift ideas and buying gifts online is simply a ‘no-brainer’!

You can search and find gifts to suit the recipient whatever their age, size, interests, hobbies, personality, lifestyle or aspirations.  With just a laptop and credit card, you can do this at any time you please  (online shopping is open 24 hours!),  from the comfort of your favourite armchair, in your pyjamas, a glass of wine, beer or cuppa at your side, perhaps munching on a cheese sandwich – whilst watching the telly.

Who said men can’t do more than one thing at a time?!!

Internet shopping  offers a huge choice of specialist websites and gifts that is just not possible with high street shopping.  What’s more is that many  merchants offer incredible ‘online only’ or ‘web-only’ discounted prices which are not available in their own high street stores.

Gifts ordered this way are delivered to your door or directly to the recipient, often gift-wrapped if required, and often with no charge for postage or packing. If the goods need to be returned for any reason, you get a return label (or can usually print one off  from the seller’s website) to return what you don’t want,  without the cost of return postage, fuss or bother.

Whether you want a relaxed shopping experience or just to browse for gift ideas,  just click on any of the product category links above and a virtual shopping mall will open up, from where you can buy almost anything you or your loved ones could wish for.  You will be pleasantly surprised at the choice available and the ease with which shopping can be done.  So what are you waiting for?

Start Shopping Now!!

I enjoy giving Christmas gifts to my family and friends, however the traditional process of Christmas gift shopping – ie choosing and buying suitable gifts was painful.  The process included  some or all of the following:

• crawling along in traffic queues along with other Christmas  shoppers on the way to shopping centres or out-of-town retail parks
• circling around the car parks and fighting with other Christmas gift shoppers for any available parking space
• trudging through store after store to get gift ideas
• getting hungry and thirsty and stopping for something to eat or drink
• finding that the queues to get a drink or snack are a mile long
• queuing for several hours more in each gift store to pay for the Christmas gifts
• hauling several bags through store after store
• being run down by trolleys or kiddies strollers in the crowded stores
• enduring tired, bored, hungry and screaming kids- (yes – your own as well as others!)
• dragging yourself and your shopping bags back to your car
• finding that there are long queues to get out of the car park
• discovering that you don’t have any change to pay for parking!  GRRRRRR!

This method of shopping for Christmas gifts made me extremely GRRRRRRRRR—UMPY, until I discovered that I don’t have to put myself through this frustrating process every year, when shopping for Christmas gifts can be so stress-free!

How Shopping for Christmas Gifts can be Stress-Free!