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

The Good Spa Guide offers some of the best Spa Deals for Mother’s Day to make sure she is well and truly pampered.

Travelbite rounds up some of their favourite luxury hotel breaks and short cottage breaks for a Mother’s Day holiday treat.

Strapped for cash? Treat your mum to some gourmet delights with these yummy Mother’s Day recipes.

Complete the Times Online Poll and tell us what you do on Mothering Sunday.

The Guardian shows us how traditional Valentine’s gifts like wine and champagne can be eco-friendly and ethical.

Meanwhile, the Independent gives us what they think are the ten best Valentine’s gifts.

Tech blog Gaj-IT picks their top Valentine Gifts for the Gadget Lover.

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.

Step 2 – Sign up for our FREE newsletter

(Don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at anytime)

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.

Get set for Christmas 2008

Looking forward to getting ready for christmas? This stunning clutch bag will be just perfect teamed up with that Little Black Dress for the office christmas party.

Classy and feminine, the ’Maggie’ clutch bag is handmade from luxury black satin with a fabulous red chiffon bow. To finish it off a stylish black bangle not only looks great but makes it easier to hold. And not wanting to be upstaged the internal lining has a black and white polka dot pattern – very retro!

This fabulous bag usually sells at £40 but the good news is that we have one to give away to a lucky winner courtesy of kittyandpolly.co.uk.

To enter the competition, all you have to do is answer a very easy question:

Step 1 – Answer this simple question

The colours of the handbag lining are black and which other colour?

(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.

If you are the lucky winner and are of a generous nature you may even decide to give it away as a fabulous christmas present. There’s going to be one happy wife, girlfriend or best friend this year!

Step 2 – Sign up for our FREE newsletter

(Don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at anytime)

About Kitty & Polly

Kitty & Polly have been busy hunting for some real treats in the lead up to christmas. Paula Green, the founder of kittyandpolly.co.uk says she is

‘delighted with our new finds for autumn and winter, representing the best in up and coming design talent and creativity. They will make great gifts for Christmas. And in keeping with our company ethos, everything is handmade which is great for our customers and the environment’

The latest additions to the range can only be described as cute, quirky and gorgeously girly. From tea cosies to tea lights, soaps to candles and handmade handbags to hot water bottle covers the choice of delectable goodies is endless.

Visit their gift shop at www.kittyandpolly.co.uk

Competition Rules

• The closing date is Friday 26th September 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 black & red Maggie clutch bag.
• 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 Kitty & Polly newsletter list. If you do not wish for it to be added, please tell us in your email.
• No employees of Gift Chooser or Kitty & Polly may enter.
• The judges decision is final.
• Prizes may not be exchanged for cash or other goods.

You know it’s going to be a good week when you find an online gift shop worth shouting about. For gifts that are handcrafted, fairly traded and distinctly different visit Jacaranda Blue for the shopping experience of the century.

This gem of a site will make sure you are never stuck for gift ideas. Find presents for the men and women in your life – whatever their age. Yes, babies and kids are also included.

Most items are made in South Africa or Asia by local crafts people and communities so all the items are handmade and not mass produced – it also means most of them are unique so each one will differ slightly from another.

And you can be assured in the fact that everything you buy will help these communities by providing a fair wage in an area where employment and money is scarce. Now that’s what I call retail therapy!

After hunting through the treasures on display I have selected my 2 favourite items:

For him

This quirky wire ’working’ car has been deftly made and makes a fabulous decorative piece for a boys room or bookcase. It comes in 2 sizes but I prefer the medium size car as the wheels are made from recycled black bags which really makes it stand out.

Buy for just £10.20 from Jacaranda Blue

For her

I have such a passion for bags. A girl can never have too many and this beautiful blue silk taffeta bag looks fabulous, can hold everything we need and fits comfortably on your shoulder.

Buy this bag for someone’s birthday from Jacaranda Blue for £26

Whether its a treat for someone special or a beautiful house warming gift to brighten up someone’s home, you will find more than you bargained for at Jacaranda Blue.

They are being promoted as a comfy way to wear shoes at the end of a long party night out, but I think these would come in very handy at plenty of other times too. Maybe after a long day shopping or when you have to stand for long periods of time – at a wedding for instance.

It’s always the times when you want to get glammed up and look your best that you know by the end of the day or night, your feet will be sore and aching from being squeezed into those fabulous heels you bought specially for the occasion.

Well suffer no more – I have found the ultimate pressie for all you husbands, boyfriends and partners to buy their lovely ladies (and that includes best friends too!)

Tipsy Feet come in black, pink, gold and silver to match any outfit.

The brilliantly named ’Tipsy Feet’ are the latest in stylish but oh-so comfy pumps that fold into a tiny pouch as if by magic. A pouch that will fit into most glamorous handbags ready to be transported.

So when the time comes and your feet can stand the pain no longer, whip out the tipsy feet and slip them on and let out a sigh of relief.

Then comes the clever bit – the tiny pouch transforms into a stylish bag to carry around your killer heels for the rest of the day or night.

Tipsy Feet are the ultimate in First Aid for Feet!

Buy online at PrezzyBox for £19.95 – cheaper than a new pair of feet.

I have recently discovered Boutiko, a beautiful looking site with some gorgeous gifts on offer.

All of their stock is ethical in some way or other. Whether it be fairly traded, organic, made from recycled products or locally made.

They are just as passionate about shopping for nice, ethical things as you are which means you’re in for a treat.

It’s like wandering into a huge chest full of treasure, so crammed full of good stuff, it’s hard to know how I will be able to load up my arms and carry everything out. Then I realise it’s an online shop and I relax – they’ll post it all to me!

My particular favourites are the Leather Keyring which makes an ideal present for Father’s Day.

Not only does it hold your keys, but more importantly it opens up to reveal space for 2 photos of your loved ones. Buy one in red or blue for £12.50 from Boutiko

I also adore this stunning heart shaped silver pendent and necklace for £22. The pendant chimes and apparently no two sound the same.

It’s easy to see why it’s one of their bestsellers.

Or how about this recycled Leather Travel Holder for £25.

Perfect for keeping important travel documents together whilst on the move

Boutiko.co.uk has one mission – to give you the chance to browse to your hearts content and buy from a fabulous selection of goods that are unique, unusual, handmade, recycled, organic and fair trade. Go see what treasure you can find!

International Mother’s Day is this Sunday the 11th May.

You can still order your bunch of blooms in time to give your mum a smile – wherever she is in the world.

There are so many places you can buy flowers from, but the Teleflorist lets you order beautiful bouquets for international delivery. If you are away yourself, or your mum lives abroad, it’s a perfect way to make sure she knows you haven’t forgotten!

There are a bunch of different styles, colours and arrangements to choose from. I love this stunning spring collection that even comes in a re-useable bag, perfect for the beach now summer is on its way.

Rather than have the postie deliver your flowers, make sure you get a company that has branches all over to make sure they are as local and fresh as possible.

Send flowers nationwide and worldwide via the Teleflorist in time for Mother’s Day this weekend.

I love finding little niche gift shops online and I have just discovered a real gem. Sallyjo.co.uk is a lovely boutique offering gifts hampers as beautiful presents for lovely ladies.

Choose from a selection of gorgeous gifts, or select a ready made hamper if you are spoilt for choice and can’t make up your mind.

The ready made hampers look stunning, and everything comes packaged in an unusual (and re-useable) black flock keepsake box.

These hampers are both £25, the cheapest pre-made hampers. Depending on your budget and who your gift is for will help you choose what option to go for.

£25 from sallyjo.co.uk for a gift hamper containing candles, votives, notebooks and handmade soap slices.

£25 from sallyjo.co.uk for a gift hamper containing handmade soap slices, a candle, a votive and silver drop earrings.

If you are looking for something a bit cheaper or more bespoke, then choose each item yourself from an assortment of goodies.

Candles, Votives, notebooks, handmade soap slices and bath bombs – what woman doesn’t love these?

Then make it more unique by adding from the choice of leather italian gloves, one-off hand-made bags and purses or classic and retro pens.

For that special occasion add a touch of stunning jewellery to the gift hamper; necklaces, bracelets, earrings and watches all made from silver and gemstones.

Visit www.sallyjo.co.uk and feast your eyes on a range of beautiful gift ideas.

Want to buy a gift for someone that is funky, functional and will make you feel good about yourself?

Then the Pants to Poverty underwear ticks all those boxes.

Working in a similar way to the ’Make Poverty History’ rubber wristbands that took the UK by storm a few years ago, these pants aim to do the same.

They are a fair trade cotton product produced in India and £1 for each pair sold goes towards worthwhile campaigns in Africa.

They are are also organically produced, so everybody wins. They are snug, soft and look fantastic.

They come in a short style for the Ladies

And a boxer style for Men

What better gift can you give? Buy these pants for £12 from Ethical Superstore

We ladies have always got tons of jewellery to hand. If you know of somebody who could use a helping hand to organise their collection of crown jewels, I have found this gorgeous jewellery box.

We always have to make sure we have the perfect accessory to hand for any occasion. Little trinkets, earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets. If you are anything like me they’ll be strewn about all over the place as I never have anywhere to keep it all.

This beautiful rectangular jewellery box is made with frosted glass and decorated with delicate butterflies all over it.

The butterflies and trailing plant design is studded with sparkling gems to make it extra gorgeous. They gems come in different colours to suit the lucky recipient, either pink, blue or purple

It looks stunning, is very practical at keeping all your jewels together and it costs less than a tenner!

Buy it for just £8.99 from Purple Puffin.

If you don’t want to spend a fortune, or have a limited budget this month but need to get a quick last minute pressie for your mum or a friends birthday, this Lotus Flower is a great bath plug.

It’s a cute accessory that any girl would love to see when she takes a soak in the bath.

It’ll transport them into the spa’s of Thailand, or the tropical lakes in some exotic faraway place. They may even feel they are on holiday!

The Lotus Flower will sit prettily on its leaf and float away on top of your bath water.

It’s one of those novelty gifts that aren’t really useful at all, but are just really nice to have.

Buy this unusual floating plug for £5.95 from Feeling Chilled.

If you add the code SPRING into the code box at the checkout you will get a 10% discount . This voucher is valid until 31/03/08.

Discount Codes for Feeling Chilled

At Web Savings World you can find Feeling Chilled promotional voucher codes

I bought my own mum this Name A Rose gift set for her birthday last year and realised what a fabulous gift idea it was for Mother’s Day and too.

Rather than get a bunch of flowers that’ll last a few days, get her a rose that’ll last forever!

The gift box comes with a packet of rose seeds that as yet are un-named. It is then entirely your mum’s choice what she chooses to name the rose as. It could be the name of a much loved pet, friend or family member. The decision is hers, she just needs to do it within 12 months which should be plenty of time.

Once decided she just needs to return the completed registration form – full instructions are included.

Then she can plant her seeds in the garden and wait for her official certificate to come through. Hopefully she will be able to enjoy the roses blooming her garden for years to come. You may also be interested in the Pink Garden Kit to go with this gift.

For Mums and Grandmothers all over the UK, buy this Name a Rose Gift Box for only £19.95 from Feeling Chilled.

By adding the code SPRING into the code box at the checkout you can get a 10% discount too. Code valid until 31/03/08.

Discount Codes for Feeling Chilled

At Web Savings World you can find Feeling Chilled promotional discount codes

Mum’s Day, on the 2nd March, is mega early this year – so make sure you don’t get caught out and order your mum or mother-in-law some flowers today.

All mums love flowers, and if they don’t get any, you can be sure you’ll never hear the end of it. Do your ears a favour and make sure you don’t forget Mothering Sunday.

Order before 4th March and you will get free UK delivery and a free box of choccies with each delivery.

Bunches have large variety of flowers, most importantly they have a range of prices to suit all budgets too. Most flower sites expect you to pay upwards of £30 on a bunch of flowers.

But bunches have lovely bouquets of blooms starting from £9.99. Of course, most of the Mother’s Day range are different hues of pink, but still, they look beautiful and will make your mum smile from ear to ear when she receives them.

The Thank You Mum bunch is just £15.99 and includes a box of chocolates with the flowers

The Flutterby Basket has pretty pink butterfly set amongst the petals for £23.99

The Mama’s Delight bouquet is a gorgeous mix of pink and purple blooms and costs £19.99

Even if you do want to get a bigger bouquet, you don’t have to spend a fortune, because those lovely folk at Bunches flower shop will even give you 10% off your order if you type in the code MDY at the checkout. You have until midnight on Wednesday 27th Feb for this discount voucher code before it turns into a pumpkin – so hurry up and order!

Discount Codes for Bunches

At Web Savings World you can find Bunches promotional vouchers

Big Bad Buffalo – Spend over £75 and get a FREE £10 gift voucher at bigbadbuffalo.com

Website: www.discoo.co.uk

Discoo is an online fashion shop with an eye for detail. The clothing is sourced from all across the globe with many unique and quirky designs, many exclusive to Discoo.

Interestingly, it originally started in 2003 as a university project, but has now developed into a fabulous online boutique famous for its personal touch.

Many of these fashion items you won’t find anywhere on the high street, so they make great gifts for family and friends, or even if you want to treat yourself to the perfect party dress.

Discoo are well known for their ultra-speedy delivery (free if over £40) and their personal customer service. You even get a free gift with each tissue wrapped order!

Find bags and belts, party clothes, woolly jumpers, scarves, PJ’s, sweats, leggings, coats and really funky T’s to name a few of the ranges they stock.

And for those who will only wear a name, there are a range of labels for the fashion snobs amongst you.

Their Fashion Secrets range is perfect for the ladies who want to look their best on a night out.

And if you live in London and you need something extra quick – get the London 3 hour service for just £3.95.

Check out Discoo.co.uk, and you’ll have no trouble finding the right gift for someone.

Discount Codes for Discoo

At Web Savings World you can find Discoo discount voucher codes – alternatively (if you have a website), they also run a good affiliate program through Affliliate Window.

This hands-on experience day caught my eye recently. I thought ’what a fabulous gift idea that would be for my mum’.

A flower arranging day where you learn how to create a some truly gorgeous floral displays.

It’s not all about bunching a load of pretty coloured flowers together, it takes care, a keen eye and a steady hand to create a floral design fit for a queen. But after the course, you mother will be an expert at it.

The morning is spent showing you how to make the various arrangements, what seasonal materials you can use to produce the best displays. After lunch and a coffee, your mum will get to practice to her hearts content.Then she can try out her new found skills at home.

It’ll be a fun day for learning new skills, so mums all over the UK can arrange their own displays, and decorate their own homes (and not pay a fortune for a florist to do it for them). Just imagine how much money they could end up saving?

Just make sure your mum doesn’t suffer from hayfever, otherwise she may not enjoy it if her eyes and nose are streaming all day.

The whole days costs just £55 from PrezzyBox. Go on, your mum is worth every penny!

When you think of being pampered and relaxing, what comes to mind? Yes, you guessed it, a lovely soak in a hot, steaming bath filled with lovely smelling bubbles.

Your mum’s will love to be pampered this Mother’s Day and what better way to do it than in the comfort of their own home!
No, it’s not a tin of baked beans, it’s actually a clever little machine that creates lots of bubbles in your own bath to soak all the tension out of your hard-worked muscles.

This bubble machine, obviously pink coloured for the girls, is a great invention which produces oodles and oodles of light and airy bubbles to soak all your biggest troubles and cares away. In fact it’s almost like having your own jacuzzi at home.

Don’t worry about the lethal water/electric combo, as there are no wires or plugs attached, it runs on 3 AA batteries (which aren’t included – so don’t forget to buy them!)

Would also work well with a ’Do Not Disturb’ sign to be hung on the bathroom door.

Buy this hubbly bubbly bubble making gadget for the bargain price of £8.90 from Find Me A Gift.

Warning: Mother’s Day is very early this year so don’t get caught out. 

Yes, on the 2nd March, we all celebrate the very special ladies in our lives, our Mums. I have written about the GiftAPlant shop before, but they have the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

This unique plant is actually called Azalea Mothers Day.

 It will make a superb and memorable gift for your mum this Mother’s Day. Azaleas are classed as flowering shrubs and actually belong to the bushy Rhododendron family of plants. Being an evergreen plant it is easy to keep on the patio, in the garden or conservatory all year round, but come springtime (usually April), you will find it shows off its blooms in full. 

Bright red flowers emerge from April, when the weather warms up, making it ideal as a Mother’s Day present.

Mother’s Day, also called Mothering Sunday, originates from a christian practice in the 16th century, whereby it was a tradition to visit your ’mother church’ one day each year, which meant you usually met up with your mother. 

It has developed to become a day to honour mums all over the world, although different countries have different days throughout the year, the UK always celebrates it during the month of March.

Whilst many see it is another commercial way to get us to part with our cash, I think a card and gift once a year is the least we can to to make our mums know how much we think of them.

Chocolates, and bunches of flowers make lovely gifts, I love the idea of giving a ’living gift’, one that will last and be appreciated for months to come.

Buy this beautiful plant as a special gift for your mum. Just £8.99 from GiftAPlant.com

We have a selection of Last Minute Valentine’s pressies that can be ordered, all with special discount voucher codes so you can save money too. That’ll mean you can take each other out for a meal as well as giving each other a gift.

Flowers

You can still get a traditional – but ever so romantic – bunch of flowers, delivered complete with a soppy message or lovers poem.

E-Flowers have a beautiful selection of flowers for every occasion, but they have a fabulous Valentine’s collection too. The only difficult thing will be deciding on which bouquet to buy. The rest is easy, choose a delivery date, type in a message of love and order. Oh don’t forget to type the code word LOVE into the voucher code box as it’ll give you a 5% discount!

I love this bunch of six red roses called ’Stolen Kisses’. They come hand-tied with contrasting foliage to set the roses off perfectly. And at a price to suit all budgets.

Buy now for £30 from E-Flowers

UK Soccer Shop

Something for the boys. Not particularly romantic, but you just know he’ll love anything sporty and it’ll be much more appreciated than a box of chocolate hearts.

The number one shop for football t-shirts. How about this England 07-09 home football shirt. What’s more is you can get it printed with a number and your boyfriend’s name on it – he’ll love you for it.

Get it for £49.99 from UK Soccer Shop

If you spend £50 or more type in FEB5 and enjoy a 5% discount
If you spend £100 or more type in FEB10 and enjoy a 10% discount but hurry, the offer ends 15th February 2008.

Great Magazines

What woman doesn’t love her weekly fix of celebs, fashion and gossip! Come to think of it, you guys seem to love reading them just as much.

Heat magazine is one of our weekly favourites. You can buy an annual subscription and get a free bottle of perfume – the delicious Miss Sixty Rock Muse fragrance.

All for just £79.99 from Great Magazines

Type in LUVvoucher before 17th Feb to get £5 off your order.

Holdall Sports

The Nike Triax Blaze watch is waterproof, with an easily readable dial which glows in dim light or darkness. This fantastic mens sports watch is sleek and functional, perfect for your active hunk.

Enter VALENTINE08 into the voucher code box on checkout and get 6% off your order. Valid until Feb 29th 08.

Get it at a reduced price of £27 from Holdall.com