Website: www.moonpig.com

We’ve just discovered a super cool new personalised card site that also do a fab range of personalised gifts too – perfect as pressies! Go to FunkyPigeon.com.

Moonpig.com is one of our favourite greeting cards site and this season they have a brilliant new range of christmas cards on offer.

They’ve got hundreds – if not thousands – of cards from the cute and cuddly to the hilarious and ridiculous. You can even personalise cards now, or use your own digital photographs instead of using their traditionally designed ones. These cards are extremely popular and lots of fun to create!

The site’s easy peasy to use and you can enjoy big discounts of 20% if you use their Prepay system.

Take the hassle out of Christmas and shop online with moonpig.com.

One of our favourite online UK gift shops is Boutiko. They always have a gorgeous range of gifts at any time of the year.

But this christmas season they have a fantastic collection of winter treats. My particular favourites are these wonderful Noel tea light holders.

Ideal for the mantelpiece, the dining table or a windowsill, these enchanting fine porcelain tealight holders are hand thrown and decorated with tiny hole punched letters that give a magical flickering glow. They look as pretty with lit candles as they do without.

What makes them even more special is that they’re handmade by a British artist using offcuts of porcelain from other projects, so nothing is wasted.

Buy this set of 4 porcelain tealight holders for £25 from Boutiko.co.uk

Fed up with buying the usual restaurant meals, flowers, chocolates etc… he wanted more of an unusual gift.

He found the perfect idea from a friend who suggested hiring a spa for the weekend.

The great things about spas is that it doesn’t matter what the weather’s like – you’re always snuggly warm inside the bubbly hot water. And you can’t beat sitting in a spa, looking up at the stars on a crisp, winters evening with a mug of hot chocolate.

There are plenty of companies that offer this and prices vary from £150 for 5 days hire from one company, to £315 for a week at another. They all deliver around the UK with Free Delivery if you’re local, but a charge if you’re not. Again, the delivery price varies from company to company and how far away you are from them, so its worth finding a local company.

Spas can hold from 2 people up to 12 people, depending on how big a party you’re after. The great thing is that the company will set it all up for you and dismantle it at the end of the hire period – hassle-free relaxation for you!

Here’re a few companies to check out:

• http://spa2hire.co.uk
• http://www.thehottubshop.co.uk
• http://www.tubbies.co.uk/

Thanks for your fantastic gift suggestion Tommy!

If hiring a spa isn’t your cup of tea, why not buy gift vouchers for your loved one at SpaFinder, so they can be pampered in a spa resort of their choice.

Either way, it’s a lovely indulgent christmas treat!

Do you have friends and family on your list who have everything they want anyway? Then what is the point of buying a present they don’t want, need or like?

Not everybody wants to spend their hard earned money on unwanted christmas gifts. So more people are turning to meaningful gifts and cards for their seasonal giving.

Do you have difficulty buying gifts for people? Then look at my selection of the best gifts around that not only bring a smile to someone’s face, but also raise funds for worthwhile charities and projects in the UK and around the world!

Global Giving

The charity that gives global gifts from your donations. You can buy a virtual gift online by choosing from hundreds of grassroot projects and send them to your loved ones.

You can also choose a gift card, that way they can spend on projects they specifically want to support. Buy your gift from Global Giving.

RHS – Royal Horticultural Society

For green fingered gardeners a gift or subscription to the RHS charity will help them continue to fund their work in training the gardeners of the future. Buy annual membership as a gift for someone to use and enjoy throughout the year.

Or buy a pressie from one of their online shops. They have a fabulous range of books, dvds, plants and other gifts suitable for the festive season. Buy your gift from RHS.

Practical Presents

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Practical presents lets you buy a present that will become a practical solution to help people and communities across the globe.

Whether its a fluffy duck to provide eggs for families in India, water pumps for communities in Nepal or flood resistant homes for vulnerable groups in Bangladesh, your gift will last longer than Christmas Day. Buy your gift from Practical Presents.

Rockcard

A new type of greeting card is out and ready to buy online. Rockcard is a great way to send greetings to a music fan – and at the same time raise money for the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy charity. They promote the use of music as therapy for individuals and groups who are challenged by disability, illness or injustice.

You get to choose the photo of the artist and then personalise the front and inside of the card to read whatever message you want. Buy your card from RockCard.

British Red Cross

Create and send your own virtual British Red Cross parcel to help those people in need. They may be on the other side of the world or just around the corner.

Items you can put in your parcel start at just over £1 so no matter what your budget you can buy a gift and make a difference.
Buy your gift from the British Red Cross.

A Meaningful Gift can make more than just one person smile – give one this year and spread the smiles!

Kate Gary is a designer and artist in the UK. She crafts and creates a quirky and eclectic range of loveable characters then uses them to embellish a variety of her handcrafted products.

They make truly unusual gifts for people as they are handmade in such a limited number.

From handbags, wallets and cosmetic purses, to soft cuddly toys and jewellery there is an adorable gift out there for everyone!

I especially love the Smug Cat range that was inspired by the designers cat Bella. Find the Smug Cat on brooches, purses, wallets and shopping bags like this one

This handmade designer bag is just £19.99

Or how about the snuggly muffin top softie – perfectly huggable and just £6

Make the most of the Free Christmas Delivery on orders over £50 too – it’ll save you £3.95.

Buy a selection of gifts for Christmas at Kate Garey shop

I have found the latest range of designer beds for cats that would make the perfect present for cat lovers everywhere.

The KatKabin DezRez is a fantastic feline shaped shelter for cats that can be placed inside or out and will have any cat owner eager to get one!

The KatKabin is the ideal snug shelter for your kitty cats that will protect them from rain, wind and cold. Great for those cats that like to be out at all times of the day and night.

Now you’ve no need to worry about being out at work when it rains as they will now have a retreat to snuggle away into and sleep through the storm. It even comes with a range of accessories to make it extra cosy!

The KatKabin comes in a range of funky colours and is just as practical outdoors as it is inside your home.

I particularly like the Kabin in this seasonal colour.

Buy the KatKabin DezRez for £49.95 – your pampered pussy will love their cosy new bed.

In days where we often entertain at home, or at least drink more at home than we ever used to (it’s often cheaper than visiting the pub!) a wine rack seems to be something that everyone needs.

It’s always handy having a bottle of the grape juice to hand in case of unexpected visitors or a bottle of bubbly for those surprise celebrations.

However, combine that fact with the size of houses, flats and rooms nowadays as they become smaller and smaller, then finding gifts that can fit into a home is just as important as finding a gift someone likes. After all if there is no room for it, it’ll get relegated to the loft or become someone else’s present next year!

This stylish wine rack is just the ticket I reckon. It’s sleek, shiny, functional and is designed to be fixed to the wall – a brilliant space saving gift! It can hold 8 bottles of wine – more than enough for an evenings entertaining.

Not only will this idea make a brilliant christmas present but it’s a great gift idea for a wedding present or someone just moving into their new home.

Buy this nifty device as a christmas gift for someone this year for just £24.95. And if you have a bit more budget why not stretch to a nice bottle of wine to go with it!

Get the Flow Wine Rack from PrezzyBox for £24.95.

Agony Aunt at Giftchooser recently got a query from a Julia who is stuck for gift ideas for a school friend.

She asks Agony Aunt:

We are doing a secret santa at school, and I don’t know what to get my 13 year old friend. She’s not exactly picky, but I want to get her something unusual. she likes ice-cream, chocolate, cows and pink, she’s a girly girl. She is also quite funny and likes jokes and humour. Please help as I am really stuck.

Julia doesn’t specify a budget but I have trawled the gift sites and found this lovely Ribbon Watch set which I think would make a fabulous girly Christmas gift for a teenage friend.

The Ribbon Watch is 11 watches in 1 as it comes with 11 different ribbons that can be changed easily to match your mood or outfit. The ribbons are comfy to wear and just need to be tied in a bow. The colours vary from a striking red and white polka dot to a pretty pastel stripe.

Unusual, fun and a bit of a bargain at under £13. It comes in a lovely pink gift box but you can even get it giftwrapped for her too!

Buy the Ribbon Watch from Present Finder for £12.99

Hope this helps and have a fabulous Christmas.

If you are like me and not very organised then you probably still have lots of xmas decorations and christmas gifts to buy.

Why not spend a few seconds entering our competition to win a hamper of christmas gifts to make life a bit easier for you.

Give the Purple Puffin Christmas Competition a try – you could be a winner!

Christmas is always a time for buying lots of presents for family and friends, but I find it harder and harder each year to find presents within my budget that are useful, wanted and appreciated.

I have to admit that I am turning to buying virtual gifts more and more. Avoid the busy shops and streets, the cold and wet weather and buy from the comfort of your own cosy living room. One charity gift site that I’ve discovered this year is called Part and Parcel.

Children 1st is a well established childrens charity in Scotland that promotes child welfare and works with disadvantaged and vulnerable children to ensure all kids get a safe and secure childhood – something every child should have. The Part and Parcel scheme is their new virtual gift giving project.

For under £20 your gift could provide children art and crafts materials to express themselves. It could provide storytelling classes which help abandoned, bullied or homeless children to open up. Or you may choose for it to go towards The Breakfast Club – a scheme that gives food and basic childcare items to children whose parents can’t.

Whichever you choose – you know it’s the children who will benefit from your generosity. I find virtual gifts to be a bit more interesting than a pair of socks, and you know you are giving to a worthy cause.

You don’t even have to wrap anything up! Great for people like me who don’t seem to have the necessary giftwrapping skills that most other people are equipped with.

Go to the Children 1st Part and Parcel shop to buy your virtual christmas gifts this year. And don’t forget it doesn’t just have to be for Xmas. These make ideal gift ideas for birthdays too!

Get involved in the Virtual Giving revolution.

Do you know a young football fan who would love to star in their very own footie story?

This personalised story book will give them the chance to play with their favourite players and win the Cup Final for their team.

Read more about the Personalised Football Book Competition and how you can enter today.

Fancy beating the credit crunch and winning some fabulous christmas gifts this year? Then give our competition a whirl.

Not only could it save you spending lots of money (it’s a free competition), but it’ll save you pounding the streets for hours on end looking for those little xmas presents for family, friends and colleagues.

To be entered into the prize draw you simply have to complete the famous christmas song.

Step 1 – Fill in the blank

’On the first day of christmas my true love sent to me a ……… in a pear tree’

Simply email the answer to purplepuffinxmascompetition@giftchooser.co.uk by Thursday 4th December 2008. Please include your preferred contact details.

This gift hamper contains a selection of the best candles, collectables and stocking fillers on offer at Purple Puffin – and it could be yours! But you have to enter to be in with a chance of winning this collection of xmas gifts and goodies.

Christmas Candle Gift Set

This candle set is fragranced with clove, mandarin and cinnamon – the traditional Christmas smells. A collection of 4 golden T-Lites, 6 scented wooden balls and a fabric cushion come with a bottle of scented oil. All neatly packaged making it ideal to give as a christmas gift to your Grandma.

Christmas Santa

This 30cm wooden Santa collectable is hand painted and a traditional hessian sack finishes his outfit. He makes a great ornament – a lovely way to decorate your home for Christmas.

Christmas Snowman

My personal favourite is this charming rustic Christmas Snowman. He is made from shaped polystyrene for that authentic ’snow’ look and is decorated with real cones, twigs and bark for his waistcoat and hat. A woolly scarf completes his ensemble.

Fir Cone Candle Set

The Christmas candle gift set consists of 4 fir cone shaped candles, fragranced with christmas spices – cinnamon, clove and mandarin. They smell good enough to eat! (but this is not recommended)

Christmas Angel T-Lite holder

Get a warm glow emanating from your window with this porcelain Christmas Angel T-Light candle holder. She is decorated in traditional christmassy colours – red and gold and will have the word either Peace, Joy or Noel embossed onto her green sash.

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About Purple Puffin

Purple Puffin sell a range of gifts, toys and housewares to suit all pockets. Their Christmas Shop is now officially open and ready for you to browse their traditional, unusual and fun range of christmas gifts, collectables and decorations.

Competition Rules

• The closing date is Thursday 4th December 2008.
• All entries must reach us by 23:59 (11:59pm) on the closing date.
• One winner will be chosen at random from the correct entries.
• The winner will receive a Christmas candle and collectable hamper.
• The competition applicant may only enter once.
• The competition is open to UK residents only.
• All entrants email addresses will be added to the Gift Chooser and Purple Puffin newsletter list. If you do not wish for it to be added, please tell us in your email.
• No employees of Gift Chooser or Purple Puffin may enter.
• The judges decision is final.
• Prizes may not be exchanged for cash or other goods.

Yummy competition for those with a sweet tooth courtesy of MessageMuffins.com

Message Muffins have a mission in the world – to make life scrummier for everyone. And to spread the word and get everyone trying out these delicious delicacies, they are offering you a chance to win a box of tempting treats.

We are looking for people on the search for an unusual gift idea; those that are hard to buy for, families and even workplaces to have a go at winning one of the 4 gift boxes up for grabs.

All you have to do to enter is email the answer to an easy peasy question:

Step 1 – Answer this simple question

How many muffins does the Family Gift Box contain?
(hint – you may be able to find the answer right here!)

This Competition has now ended but you will find more on our GiftChooser Competitions page.

Message Muffins gift to you

These competition treats are enough to make your mouth water – I should know as I had the pleasure of experiencing one.

The Corporate Muffin Gift Box

Worth £32.99, this box contains a variety of 12 moist muffins.

They will be delivered directly to the winners place of work for the whole office to enjoy.

The Corporate Cookie Gift Box

Worth £29.99, this gift box contains a variety of 16 delicious cookies.

They will be delivered to the winners place of work for the entire office to enjoy.

The Family Gift Box

This gift box is worth £18.99 and is filled with 6 different muffins so the whole family gets to enjoy one or two…

The Childrens Christmas Feast Cookie Box

Worth £18.99, this gift box contains a range of our favourite Iced Christmas Gingerbread Cookies – a real treat for the kids.

Enter today to be in with a chance to win!

About Message Muffins

This edible greeting service provides little packages of muffins, cookies & sweeties for loved ones, couples, family and friends. A delightfully unusual way to say Merry Christmas, Congratulations or Happy Birthday.

Each order is beautifully hand packed with loving care and comes with a handwritten card bearing your personal message. What a way to treat someone! Visit www.messagemuffins.com to see their range of goodies.

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Competition Rules

• The closing date is Sunday 23rd November 2008.
• All entries must reach us by 23:59 (11:59pm) on the closing date.
• Four winners will be chosen at random from the correct entries.
• The winners will receive a a giftbox of Message Muffins or Message Cookies.
• The competition applicant may only enter once.
• The competition is open to UK residents only.
• All entrants email addresses will be added to the Gift Chooser and Message Muffins newsletter list. If you do not wish for it to be added, please tell us in your email.
• No employees of Gift Chooser or Message Muffins may enter.
• The judges decision is final.
• Prizes may not be exchanged for cash or other goods.

Do you know someone who is a major football fan? If so then this competition is the perfect way to have a go at winning a personalised football book – just in time for Christmas!

Normally £14.99, DreamBooks.net have given us 5 of these fantastic football books to give away.

To enter the competition, all you have to do is email the answer to a simple question:

Step 1 – Answer this simple question

One of the football teams starts with the letter W – which one?
(hint – you may be able to find the answer right here!)

This Competition has now ended but you will find more on our GiftChooser Competitions page.
Courtesy of DreamBooks.net we have 5 up for grabs.

What is a DreamBook?

A Dream Book is a superb idea which transforms an ordinary childrens book into a prized possession.

The Recipe for a Dream Book:

• Take one story about a child playing football in the park
• Add their name, names of their friends and favourite football team
• Stir in their birth date and address for extra flavour
• Mix in a spectacular Cup Final
• Enjoy smiles all round

This 32 page storybook is full of colour illustrations and can be customised for your son, daughter, grandchildren or a best friend. There are 7 Football Teams currently available for the books:

• Arsenal
• Chelsea
• Liverpool
• Manchester Utd
• Tottenham Hotspur
• Newcastle Utd
• West Ham

Enter today – it could just make your kids dream come true this Christmas.

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Competition Rules

• The closing date is Friday 21st November 2008.
• All entries must reach us by 23:59 (11:59pm) on the closing date.
• Five winners will be chosen at random from the correct entries.
• The winners will receive a voucher code for one free personalised DreamBook.
• The competition applicant may only enter once.
• The competition is open to UK residents only.
• All entrants email addresses will be added to the Gift Chooser and DreamBooks newsletter list. If you do not wish for it to be added, please tell us in your email.
• No employees of Gift Chooser or DreamBooks may enter.
• The judges decision is final.
• Prizes may not be exchanged for cash or other goods.

Did you know that this week is Chocolate Week? It runs from 13th to 19th October 2008. Now what better excuse is there to get you eating those delectable truffles, ganaches and choccie bars.

So I thought it was worth doing another hunt for some yummy chocolate gifts just in case you are buying presents for family and friends this week.

Know someone who loves cooking and chocolate? Then this could be the best present they ever receive!

A chocolate gift box to open and discover what goodies are in store.

• 300g 72% Cooks’ Chocolate – to melt and create chocolate treats
• 125g Fairtrade Cocoa Powder – to roll your homemade truffles in (or maybe yourself?)
• Black Cotton Green and Black’s apron – to mop up the dribble
• Green and Black’s Chocolate Recipe Book – Their best selling recipe book has the most tempting collection of recipes to experiment with and enjoy tasting

What a delicious present for someone you love!

Buy this fabulous set from Green and Black’s for £25.

Is this the ultimate pulling t-shirt? Well maybe a crowd-pulling one! I think this is the most fantastic item of clothing I have seen in a long time (well since the T-equalizer, similar to the i-cushion).

You can probably guess what it does – but keep going to find out more…

Gone are the days of carrying your laptop around town balanced on your hand or flashing your PDA around like a depraved lunatic as you try to discover any WiFi signal. Now all you need is one of these WiFi T-shirts that does all the work for you!

The bearer of the WiFi Tee shall be the beacon for all WiFi hunters in the land. Everyone in the area will be drawn to this t-shirt like moths around a lightbulb and follow as the glowing signal gets stronger and stronger.

It’s by far the quickest and easiest way to find the best places to work and browse the net whilst enjoying a coffee, a sarnie or a pint.

The funky black WiFi T-shirt – for the ultimate geek chic look!

Can you resist? Buy one today for the bloke in your life who thinks this would be the best thing since sliced bread. Only £19.95 from ParamountZone.com

And don’t worry – you’ll be able to wash this t-shirt as the signal patch is removable.

Sandedge are offering a truly unique gardening prize in our latest competition. Bringing wheelbarrows well and truly into the 21st century, this marvellous invention is a folding wheelbarrow.

Not only does it fold up flat so it can be stored in even the smallest gardens, but it can also come with this unique carrot design unlike the boring green metal wheelbarrows of yesteryear.

Step 1 – Answer this simple question

What vegetable can be found on the folding wheelbarrow?

(hint – you may be able to find the answer right here!)

This Competition has now ended but you will find more on our GiftChooser Competitions page.

About the folding wheelbarrow prize

Bugs bunny, eat your heart out! This brilliant carrot design folding wheelbarrow will brighten up the garden. And when it’s not being used its space saving design allows it to fold flat and fit into any nook or cranny available.

It’s also much lighter than the bog standard wheelbarrows making it easier to use as you zoom around your vegetable patch.

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About SandEdge

Sandedge.com is the place to go to find ravishing wrought iron garden furniture, arches and arbours, gorgeous gardening gifts and unique accessories such as the carrot design folding wheelbarrow. You’ll find no queues, crowds or cars – just stylish and unusual designs and fast delivery. Buy online now for that perfect gardening gift for kids and grown ups.

Not a winner?

Don’t worry if you’re unlucky and don’t get to win this outstanding competition prize, you can always buy the Sandedge Folding Wheelbarrow as a gift for someone for just £39.99.

Competition Rules

• The closing date is Friday 31st October 2008.
• All entries must reach us by 23:59 (11:59pm) on the closing date.
• One winner will be chosen at random from the correct entries.
• The winner will receive a Folding Wheelbarrow with carrot design.
• The competition applicant may only enter once.
• The competition is open to UK residents only.
• All entrants email addresses will be added to the Gift Chooser and Sandedge newsletter list. If you do not wish for it to be added, please tell us in your email.
• No employees of Gift Chooser or Sandedge may enter.
• The judges decision is final.
• Prizes may not be exchanged for cash or other goods.
• Prizes will be posted out by Sandedge within 28 days of the end of the competition.

If you’ve not yet entered this exciting competition then do before it’s too late!

Christmas is only 10 weeks away and these would make the best presents courtesy of Purple Puffin.

Enter the Purple Puffin camper van competition

Jacaranda Blue is giving one lucky winner a Luxury Bath Gift Box

We all need – and appreciate – a little relaxation and pampering now and again and Jacaranda Blue are offering one of their bestselling bath product gift sets to a GiftChooser reader.

The gift box the products come in is handmade and lined with tissue paper allowing the recipient to unwrap carefully and discover the goodies waiting to be found underneath: moisturising bath & body oil, organic soap and fairtrade bath melts. The winner will get to choose between Rejuvenate or Romance – whichever takes your fancy!

Treat yourself or better still give it as a gift to a loved one for a birthday or anniversary celebration. Just answer the simple question for your chance to win!

Step 1 – Answer this simple question

What type of butter are the bath melts made from?

(hint – you may be able to find the answer right here!)

This Competition has now ended but you will find more on our GiftChooser Competitions page.

About the Luxury Bath Giftset

100ml Bath & Body Oil
Made with sunflower, sesame and fair trade olive oils and scented with essential oils for the ultimate in pampering. Experience this fragrant and organic oil added to your bath, used as an after shower moisturiser or as a relaxing massage oil.

2 Bath Melts
These luxurious organic bath melts are perfect for bath time. Not only will you come out smelling of roses you’ll also be fully moisturised. Made from shea nut butter and essential oils, they come wrapped in natural muslin and each melt can be used twice (unless you have a really, really long bath!).

Handmade Organic Soap
A beautifully scented luxury soap made in the traditional cold-process method ensuring a moisturising soap that is gentle on all types of skin. Made using fairtrade ingredients which include olive oil, coconut oil and natural glycerin the organic soap is also suitable for vegans.

The Rejuvenate Bath Collection contains bath & body oil, scented with lemongrass, peppermint and rosemary essential oils, lemongrass soap and bathmelts and comes wrapped in a dark green gift box with lime green tissue paper.

The Romance Bath Collection contains bath & body oil, scented with patchouli, ylang ylang and sweet orange essential oils, geranium rose soap and bathmelts and is wrapped in a burgundy gift box with bright pink tissue paper.

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About Jacaranda Blue

Jacaranda Blue is an online gift shop specialising in contemporary ethically sourced products. Their range includes handcrafted jewellery, handbags and decorative homeware as well as the luxurious organic bath products featured in the competition. You’ll find gifts for men, women and children, so make sure you bookmark them for your Christmas shopping.

Do your Christmas shopping at JacarandaBlue.co.uk . You’ll be in for a real gift shopping treat!

If you are not a winner why not buy the gift set anyway – it only costs £20. Buy a Luxury Bath Products Gift Box

Competition Rules

• The closing date is Friday 24th October 2008.
• All entries must reach us by 23:59 (11:59pm) on the closing date.
• One winner will be chosen at random from the correct entries.
• The winner will receive a Romance Luxury Bath Giftset or a Rejuvenate Luxury Bath Giftset.
• The competition applicant may only enter once.
• The competition is open to UK residents only.
• All entrants email addresses will be added to the Gift Chooser and Jacaranda Blue newsletter list. If you do not wish for it to be added, please tell us in your email.
• No employees of Gift Chooser or Jacaranda Blue may enter.
• The judges decision is final.
• Prizes may not be exchanged for cash or other goods.
• Prizes will be posted out by Jacaranda Blue within 28 days of the end of the competition.

This fantabulous book has over 34 poems, illustrations and colour photographs giving you a humourous insight into the mind of pets.

Even if you’re not a pet owner or animal lover, you’re bound to know someone who is and would love this as a gift!

The Pet Poets Club are giving away 10 copies of their bestselling Pet Poetry book. To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is answer the simple question on their competition page: Pet Poets Club Competition

This competition is now closed but find more at our Giftchooster Competitions page.