I’ve been experiencing a recent spate of being late for meetings, buses and even my own deadlines. Last night the light bulb went off in my head and I realised that I’ve become too dependent on my mobile phone (which lives in my handbag) to tell the time. What I actually need to do is start wearing a watch again.

And on my quest to find one I stumbled upon the Watch A Gift website. Despite the puntastic name it actually has some really funky watches sitting comfortably amongst some classic examples too.

This Zebra Bangle Watch for £14.99 is my favourite and would make a great present for my niece this Christmas.

Once I started browsing I discovered they also have some fabulous retro watches and I got to thinking I could actually do most of my 2011 christmas shopping online here. Much better than trawling around the high street shops on foot!

This brilliant Retro TV Screen Leather watch will be great for my brother who is notoriously difficult to buy for because he already has everything.

Mens Retro TV Screen watch for £19.99

and this Multicoloured Plastic Toy Watch for £15.99 will be ideal for my little nephew

All the watches I’ve chosen are within my meagre budget, but they do have some well known brands such as Ted Baker and Sekonda and prices go up to £160 if you have more cash to splash. Plus there’s free delivery on orders over £60.

Go to watchagift.co.uk and get shopping!

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.

Hetal writes:

Have a look at this site for great indian curry hampers. I bought the curry meal maker hamper for my husband. …….. he loved it!!

Thanks for the gift idea Hetal.

For curry lovers everywhere, this website will get your tastebuds tingling. They cater for veggies and meat lovers.

A family run company based in the UK, who not only create hamper sets but also sell cookery books and traditional indian utensils such as the Masala Dabba to hold all your spices, chutney and pickle trays and balti dishes.

The website is easy to use and very clear and it fully explains what goes into your gift hamper. You can go with the standard choice or choose additional extras to make the gift set unique.

The prices are really reasonable too, but the only downside is they do not specify the postage charge until you get to the end of the checkout system, and it varies depending on what you order. Despite this it still looks like a fab place to buy a gift from.

So whether you like to cook curries, eat curry or want to learn how to go Korma crazy, you will find just what you need at the Indian Hamper Company.

I found this gift online, i gave it to my girlfriend and she was fascinated with the present.

They write your love or congratulation messages for somebody on the sand in one of the most romantic places of the Mediterranean Sea.

After this they take a picture of your message on the beach and send to you.

Thanks for your gift suggestion Markus. Read about Markus’s gift idea for a Sand Message

If you have any gift suggestions please email me at kim@giftchooser.co.uk

Every year I seem to find it harder and harder to choose a gift for somebody. I have to firstly remember what I have bought them previously so I don’t buy the same thing.

Then I have to think of what they may want, times that by what they need, divided by what they already have – anyway what I am trying to say is that it gets very complicated.

A gift magazine subscriptions could be the way out of your pickle.

We all spend so much money each year buying magazines – so why not buy someone a subscription to their favourite magazine so they can have it delivered right to their door!

We have designed our sister site comparemags.co.uk especially with this in mind, making it the easy way to shop online for christmas gifts.

You don’t need to wrap it, carry it, even go out and buy it – it can all be done online. You can even decide for what length of time to buy it for. Just a quarter if it is a weekly magazine or annually if it is monthly – the choice is yours which is great for those on a limited budget.

Family or friends not living in the UK? No problem – certain magazines can be delivered overseas.

The only difficulty you’ll find is deciding which one to get. I found there are about 600 to choose from. Where do you start? Do you go for a new interest, puzzles, hobbies, political, gossip, health and beauty, fitness, history, films, games, computers, music, gadgets, parenting, professions, food… the list is endless, proving that there is something for everyone. All I know is that I would appreciate a magazine subscription in my stocking this year. Hint hint.

You can visit the site comparemags.co.uk here to see what magazine catches your eye. Don’t forget to leave those obvious hints lying around!

Free Gifts and Discount Magazine Subscriptions

Get free gifts and discounted magazine subscriptions at http://freebiebag.co.uk to make buying birthday and christmas gifts even cheaper.

Free DVD Trials

Take part in free DVD trials. See the range at http://freebiebag.co.uk to make buying birthday and christmas gifts even cheaper.

I love this idea for a gift for somebody. Let them chose the films they get to watch over and over again with a DVD film subscription lasting from 1 month to 12 depending on how much cash you have to splash.

The best DVD rental service I have found is LoveFilm. The subscription is a flat rate membership that offers you unlimited DVD’s for an unlimited time meaning there are no late fees. You get 1 DVD at a time and better still it is all done online so no more trips to the video shop 3 miles away. The website (www.lovefilm.co.uk) is easy to navigate and has a enormous choice of over 65,000 films, box sets, tv programmes and documentaries.

The site has a very nice feature where can select films you’ve previously rented not to show up on any new searches and each film has a synopsis, reviews, cast and a members rating system. I find the star scoring system really helps you along when making a decision.

Whoever is the lucky recipient of this gift will get to chose and add any film of their choice online in a matter of minutes, you can even do it in your lunch break. Adding a film to your rental queue is simply done by the click of a button – easy. Freepost envelopes are provided to return your DVD in. They can be a little fiddly but the turnaround is very quick, so your next film is never very far away.
A great gift idea if you are buying for someone who has everything.

Buy a Gift Subscription for somone -
The unlimited 1 disc package from £9.99 for 1 month

I was wondering what to get my Best Friend for her 15th Birthday.
Although shes not picky shes very hard to choose for. She likes rock,
chocolate, art, interior design, the suicide bunny collections, shes kinda
lazy so loves pillows squishy things or anything comfy, she has a twin,
movies,classic disney movies, cooking, eating, partying, and asking weird
questions. But mostly she likes chocolate. Please help because it was her
birthday ages ago and I dont know what to get her!

The following gifts would make ideal presents for your friend, Rachel, but it all depends on your budget.

Chocolate Fountain – from £29.95

Chocolate Creative Kit – for £9.95

Cushtie Pillow – £7.90

What is a Cushtie? It’s a weird hybrid combining the elements of a pillow the properties of a cushion and the function of a stress-reliever.

Know someone who likes to laze? Lounge on the couch or snuggle on their bed on a regular basis? The Cushtie could become their new best friend!

This soft and squishy pillow is just the ticket for those people who are prone to cat-napping in the afternoon, falling asleep on the train or just something to hide behind whilst watching a scary film on a friday night.

The Cushtie is filled with micro-bobbles that mould to your shape to make it ultra-comfortable, but this also allows it to pop back into its original shape so you don’t end up with a saggy bag. It’s silky soft outer covering makes this the most huggable pillow ever. Something to snuggle up to keeping you warm and safe, a cushion to squeeze as the ultimate stress relief toy and a pillow to rest your weary head on anytime you want – it really is a multi-use present.

It even comes with its own bag which makes it perfect for long-haul travellers or just the short bus ride into town. No more long train journeys with your head bobbing against a cold, hard window. No more car rides with only an uncomfortable head rest for company.

Honestly you will wonder how you ever managed without one!

Only £7.90 from Find Me A Gift

Chocolate could well be mistaken as the food of the gods. Sweet, sticky and ever so slightly sickly if you have too much in one go, there aren’t many people in this world who aren’t fans.

If you know someone who just cannot get enough of chocolate and would like every weekend to be Easter or Christmas, then the Creative Chocolate Kit will be the gift to bring a squeal of glee to any chocoholic.

If there’s one time of the year you are allowed to pig out – it has to be your birthday and this kit makes a great present. The kit contains moulds, foil, gift wrap, full instructions and novel ideas to help you make you own style of chocolates. Thorntons better watch out.

Let them explore their creative side by creating and decorating yummy chocolates before scoffing all them before you have chance to say ’Willy Wonka’.

The ideal gift for chocoholic artists everywhere! The only downside is the kit doesn’t include any chocolate, but you can buy that at the same shop.

Buy the kit for only £9.95 from Prezzybox

Buy 900g of milk chocolate for £9.95

The original chocolate fountain was the in thing to have at parties and celebrations throughout 2006. If you thought it had become a thing of the past, then think again. The whole idea of the chocolate fountain has evolved and has now become the double chocolate fountain! Have 2 different chocolates cascading in the middle of your dining room table.

Dip in whatever you can find, strawberries, cherries, kiwi, marshmallows, rich tea biscuits, even fingers! My particular favourite is pineapple. Even use the melted chocolate to pour over a bowl of ice-cream – the possibilities are endless.

You can never have too much delicious chocolate, otherwise known as the ’elixir of the gods’ and with either of these fountains you can use them over and over again.

No birthday party should be without one of these fountains that provides oozing gallons of chocolate that pour over into a splendid waterfall of pure yumminess.

Some lucky person got to enjoy this double delight – have a look at the chocolate fountain video they made so you can see what you’re missing.

Buy the double chocolate fountain for £59.95 from Firebox

Buy the original chocolate fountain for £29.95 from Firebox

Discount Codes for Firebox

At Web Savings World you can find Firebox discount vouchers

My friend Trevor is off to Uni next month and I would like to get him a going away present. Any ideas for a fun pressie?

The game Twister, invented in 1969 by Americans Cahrles Foley and Neil Rabens, has proved to be a successful game of balance and physical skill. Over the years it has developed into a popular party game, particularly with college and uni students, who like to add an element of added entertainment by making it into ’drinking’ or ’strip’ Twister. Blokes being blokes tend not to have very exciting bedrooms. Especially once they finally fly the nest and have to decorate and tidy for themselves.

Here is a quick and easy way to do two jobs at once, not only will this twister duvet cover add a bit of colour to a drab student flat but it will also bring an element of fun and games into bedtime. It can even be dragged onto the living room floor and transform a quiet evening into a Twister party.

Fun and games galore for only £29.95 from Firebox

Discount Codes for Firebox

At Web Savings World you can find Firebox promotional voucher codes

My sister is having a hen party in a few weeks and we are arranging a fabulous party night for her. I would love to buy her something for the party that will give it the WOW factor. Any ideas?

Well, 2006 was the year of the chocolate fountain.

2007 is the year of the Cocktail Fountain.

This amazing centrepiece will look fabulous on any table as the cocktails cascade over the illuminated bowl to form a colourful waterfall of pure deliciousness.

Fill it up with the tipple of your choice, whether it’s vodka and cranberry, sex on the beach or your own special brew. Guests can then fill up their glasses whenever they need a top up. Make your party one to remember, in fact make it the party of the century!

Create that WOW factor for £45 from Need A Present

I want to buy my friend a present for his birthday. He loves gardening but doesn’t have his own garden to grow flowers and herbs. Is there anything you can suggest which may be just the answer to his dilemma?

The Bean Pod is an ideal gift for any green-fingered gent who doesn’t have a garden or the space to have a window box. It’s a mini herb garden which sticks to your window or wall so it can get loads of light. Just sow the seeds in the peat, water and watch your ‘erbs grow.

The pod itself is re-usable so you can keep on growing without getting back-ache or mucky fingers. And you’ll always have fresh herbs on tap for cooking.

At just £7.95 per pod, you can splash out on a whole window full of greenery from Firebox

Discount Codes for Firebox

At Web Savings World you can find Firebox promotional vouchers

I want to buy my nephew a present for his birthday which he can use at his summer party. He is only 5 and I am stuck as to what he might like. Any suggestions?

Have I got a treat in store for your nephew! The perfect thing for kids in summer is this fun Race and Slide game.

The Race Slide has a water sprayer up the centre which constantly sprays water to make sure the slide stays wet. Just grab a surf rider and off you go. There are two lanes which make it perfect to hold races and award the winner a prize. Get wet, cool down, have competitions, have fun! Your nephew and his friends will love it! Even when the party is over, there will be plenty of usage out of this water game.

Only £22.95 from Prezzybox

I am going to my best friends wedding this year and would like to buy her and her husband-to-be a wedding gift to remember, rather than the usual set of egyptian cotton towels or wine glasses.

Read to find out what our Agony Aunt recommends.

What a nice thought – I love the idea of giving a unique gift that the happy couple will be able to keep as a reminder of their wedding day.

How about a hand drawn caricature portrait of the happy couple? Each caricature is hand drawn and unique and you can suggest ideas of what the artist could include. Just send them a photo of your friends, state the occasion, any hobbies or any details that you want to be included and ta-dah! Their very own work of art.

I think these caricature portraits make novel and memorable presents for anybody and any occasion.

Available from DrawMe.co.uk

Prices range from £49.95 – £79.95

My mum is a real chocoholic and I am looking for a present for her birthday. I don’t just want to buy a run of the mill box of chocolates from the local shop. Can you suggest something a bit unique?

Read on to discover what our Agony Aunt suggests.

Hotel Chocolat makes the most delectable chocolates that you can order online. I think this would make the perfect gift for your mums birthday – a double layer of their seasonal chocolate selection and a bottle of bubbly to wash them all down with makes the perfect combination.

The whole lot comes in an embossed, wooden crate, complete with a crisp white linen napkin – what luxury!

Just £55 from Hotel Chocolat

However if you wanted to splash out a bit more and get something longer lasting, how about a 12 month gift subscription to the Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club. Your mum will receive a box of chocolates every month for the next year, chocolates that have been specially created and handmade for her to enjoy by the best chocolatiers.

At £170 for 12 months it’s the ultimate treat.

www.hotelchocolat.co.uk

I am on a bit of a budget but want to get my friend a birthday present that will wow her socks off! She loves to relax in her bathtub, what can you recommend?

Read on to find out what our Agony Aunt suggests.

I have just the thing from those lovely people at iwantoneofthose.com. Get her a pack of Spa lights, lovely waterproof lights that float on the surface. They can also be attached to the bath itself so they sit underwater and give off a lovely yellow glow, creating a relaxing spa-like ambience.

They only need 2 x AAA batteries to give you 120 hours of luxurious lighting – perfect for an evening pamper session or the ultimate romantic setting for your friend and her loved one.

She will think you’re the best friend ever and at just £6.95 for two they won’t break the bank either.

Buy for £6.95 from I Want One Of Those (IWOOT)