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10 Unusual Gift Ideas

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:22:35 +0100

Top 10 Tips for Buying Unusual Gifts

We all know someone who is very difficult to buy for and it seems to get harder each year. There is the husband who is fed up of receiving socks, ties and aftershave every Christmas; the teenage daughter who is into all things ‘gothic’ or a nephew who is mad about cricket and nothing else.
What about the highly successful friend who appears to have it all. The type of person who has seen it, done it and bought the book.

Or are you the type of person who gets your mum a bunch of flowers every year when Mothers Day comes around and usually on the last minute from a petrol station?

This ‘top ten tips to unusual gifts’ contains useful suggestions on what to buy that ‘difficult’ person – young or old:

Top 10 Unusual Gifts

1. Gadgets

hese are very popular, especially with men! However, men, women and children all enjoy playing with gadgets as they can provide a bit of light relief. Some gadgets are designed purely for practical reasons whereas others are there to entertain.

Suggested gadgets include an MP3 style USB speaker for him; a pink wind up dynamo torch for her and an interactive fish money bank for the kids.

2. Soft toys

These are not just for kids. There are people who love cuddly toys and find them comforting and appealing.

Animals are a popular choice of soft toy, especially the teddy bear. However, consider something different such as an aardvark soft toy or a cuddly dinosaur (T-rex).

3. Gift Vouchers

If you are stuck for ideas or are buying for someone with an unusual interest then consider a gift voucher. These can start from as little as £5 up to £50 or more and allow the recipient to buy exactly what they want.

4. Action Figures

Many people may think of ‘Action Man’ but ‘action figures’ covers a wide range which includes small 5 inch figures such as ‘Doctor Who’ or ‘Lord of the Rings’ characters.

Some adults view these as ‘collector’s items’ rather than just ‘toys’.

5. Special Occasion Gifts

This includes Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Mothers/Fathers Day and Halloween. Other occasions include Weddings, Christenings, Retirement and Birthdays.

Good ideas for gifts are ‘experience days’ such as flying lessons or ice climbing, Valentine’s Day champagne or Afternoon tea at Harrods.

6. Personalised Posters/Photographs

If someone you know is a fan of a particular television programme or a football team then consider a poster or photograph with their name on it.

7. Adopt an animal

If the person you are buying for is very keen on conservationism or an ‘animal lover’ in general then consider an animal adoption pack. Charities such as the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and many others have schemes in which you can support their work by adopting an animal.

8. Gifts at a set price

There are companies which offer gift packages at a set price, for example £30. If you had set yourself a budget on what to spend on someone then this can make it easier for you.

Suggested gifts include grow your own vegetable garden and an executive pen.

9. Adrenaline Activities

Some people enjoy high energy activities and love nothing more than the adrenaline rush at the end. If the person you are thinking about is sporty or enjoys fear and exhilaration then consider an adrenaline activity.

Ideas include rolling down a hill in a large inflatable sphere and white water rafting.

10. Magazine Subscription

There are numerous magazines available which cover a wide range of interests, from sport and leisure to home interiors, astronomy and fashion.

Someone with a particular interest, such as gardening or painting may enjoy nothing better than a copy of their favourite magazine, delivered every month.

Unusual Halloween Gift Ideas

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:24:34 +0100

Halloween is a popular time of year, for both children and adults alike. Pumpkins, witches, ghosts and skeletons, these are just a few things which characterise the scariest day of the year. Add in lots of orange and black and the odd black cat or two and things are guaranteed to go bump in the night!

Even though Halloween has its roots in ancient pagan and Christian festivals it is seen as a time to have fun and play jokes upon people. Whether you do that dressed as a witch or a devil is entirely up to you!

Children love the idea of dressing up as a witch or Dracula and going trick or treating. Adults enjoy dressing up in costume and going to a Halloween party, or sitting in the house, watching old horror movies from behind the sofa!

If you are planning a ‘spooky’ party or are expecting visits from costumed children crying ‘trick or treat’ then a few inexpensive ‘Halloween’ gifts can ensure things go ‘hauntingly’ well!

Sweets and chocolates are always popular on Halloween and you can keep with the theme by choosing chocolate ghosts, witches and pumpkins or a pre-filled goody bag. Another option is to create your own ‘goody bags’ and you can do this by adding a few unusual gifts. These can include a ‘witch’ soft toy, a small bat complete with a sound chip or a ‘glow in the dark’ rubber duck. A pair of fangs complete with fake blood or a spider that walks up the wall will also do the trick.

If you are having a Halloween party then you will, in all likelihood be having a few games. These games can be old favourites such as ‘apple bobbing’ or ones that have a ‘Halloween’ twist! These themed games can include ‘scary stories’, a ‘graveyard’ treasure hunt or wrapping someone up as a ‘mummy’.

Add a few inexpensive gifts to these games. For example, if you are going for the ever popular ‘bobbing for apples’ then include a few ‘spooky’ rubber ducks to liven things up. You can even throw in the odd devil or two!

You can create the right kind of ‘spooky’ atmosphere at a graveyard treasure hunt by adding a few Halloween decorations. Fake tombstones, spiders’ webs, pumpkin lanterns and plastic bats; a Halloween teddy figurine with glow in the dark skeleton bones will all add to the sense of the occasion. A horror music CD playing in the background can also help.

Hide a few black cat or raven keyrings behind garden plants. Place some soft toy keyrings in places which aren’t too difficult to find especially with younger children.

No game is complete without prizes and children especially love getting a prize or a small gift. These needn’t cost the earth. A small trick or treat ‘goody’ bag or cauldron filled with plastic bats and sweets, or a special ‘trick or treat’ torch will also go down well.

A bit of imagination can work wonders! View our Halloween Gifts category today for some spooky treats!

Happy Halloween!

Fathers Day not just a date on the calendar

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:42:54 +0100

On a single day in June, dads all over the country receive Father's Day gifts. Often, this will be a token gesture – such as a tie they’ll never wear, or socks, which doesn’t seem quite fair for all the hours they put in on the other 364 days of the year!

But why keep Fathers Day to just one occasion anyway? When it comes to gifts, dads like to be appreciated whatever the time of year – and there are plenty of fantastic, original dads’ gifts to choose from, with not a tie or handkerchief in sight.

Coming back to that all-important Father's Day, there are lots of gift ideas for Father's Day online, which are truly original. An obvious start is the “Best Dad in the World” coffee cup route. Even if he cringes at the sentiment, at least he’ll enjoy drinking the beverage. The Me To You Bears Tatty Teddy range is highly collectible, with plenty of gifts for Dads of all ages. You can do worse than buy him a cute 6” Tatty Teddy toy, wearing a tie or t-shirt emblazoned with “Best Dad” or something similar, which is something he can keep on display - this is an especially apt present if Daddy’s gift is from a younger member of the family.

Other useful Father's Day gifts from Tatty Teddy include photo frames, which you can fit with his favourite photo; key rings; BBQ aprons and boxed mugs. There’s also a Tatty Teddy mouse mat; very useful when Dad’s sitting at his desk and you need money to go out for the evening. Just casually glance down to the photo of you as a baby, smile sweetly…

If the Man of The House is into gadgets, then you’re spoilt for choice. A coughing ashtray might be the best daddy gift you can buy him, even better if he’s already trying to give up. A desktop Henry Hoover vacuum cleaner will help clear up the dropped ash or crumbs from his afternoon biscuit – and fun to play with after. Staying on the subject of fun, “men’s toys” make great gifts for Father's Day. How about a miniature RC helicopter or a Slam Dunk desk-top basketball game? Pull-back-and-go toys allow your dad to relive his childhood days; buy him a set of speeding grand-dads, and you can play together for hours! Yet if all he wants is to crash in front of the Sunday football, a remote-control holder will ensure he never loses the TV remote again. Sounds boring? Not if it’s the version made by Hinz and Kunst, the team famous for their wacky “nuts and bolts” men.

Hinz and Kunst figures make ideal gifts for Father's Day. Highly collectible and very masculine, the range is so extensive that you can easily match your dad to his job or hobby. Handymen, plumbers, business men, car mechanics, and policemen are just some of the professions covered. Of course, your dad might want to forget about work for one day, in which case you’ll find every hobbyist from poker players to anglers in rowing boats.

If you’re stuck for Father's Day gift ideas, just take a look on our site for inspiration.

An Aliens Advice on Gifts for Girls

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:47:43 +0100

Buying gifts for girls can feel like entering an alien world for someone who isn’t a young or teenage girl themselves. As an alien myself, I’ve noticed girls love receiving gifts, but nobody wants to see the disappointment if the thing they unwrap isn’t what they wanted, or special. Just because your favourite friend loves sitting down to watch Dr Who, it doesn’t mean she’d love a Dr Who action figure! Then again, she might. You never can tell…

Here are a few of my ideas on gifts for girls, based on what I’ve noticed about the species.
You need to think “outside the box” when choosing gifts for girls. A totally alien species, girls have to be treated very differently to the rest of the human race. Take communication, for example. The Teenage Brain, like the teenage bedroom, is not a place to venture into lightly. However, online you’ll find plenty of gift ideas for girls which ensure communication is possible on at least a semi-coherent basis.

Girls love to glam up and look cool. They also love spending money to do it. So how about combining the two with a cute purse? You’ll find quite a few of these gifts among collectible ranges like Me To You Bears. I think girls must have evolved from magpies, as they love collecting things. Of course, once she’s got the purse she’ll need something to put it in. Luckily, gifts could include matching backpacks and overnight bags. Girls love sleepovers. Perhaps it’s a nesting instinct thing.

Another thing I’ve noticed is – Girls love Gadgets. In fact, they’ve evolved a method of communication based entirely around the txt btns of their mobile phones. You can play to this in a number of ways – mobile phone covers, for example, or “bling” accessories for their MP3 players. Speaking of which, girls love music too – both making it and listening to it. Snazzy speakers (I’ve even spotted a pair shaped like a pair of high heels); karaoke mikes and earphones all make great gifts for the female of your species.

Girls tend to congregate in groups, so gifts they can share are always appreciated, and the blingier the better. How about a Diamante Earphone Splitter, with 2-Way audio connection? Dazzling with pink diamantes – and possibly a few Lilithium crystals - it allows you to plug two sets of earphones into the same device, and is compatible with all MP3 players, iPods, transgalactic communicators etc. Mobile phone accessories also make good gift ideas for girls. During their waking hours, teenage girls seem to be permanently attached to these strange alien devices, but for those rare times when they are not “Phoning Home”, there’s a wonderful selection of mobile socks, pouches and charms by NICI, Me To You Bears and other famous brands.

For many girls, nothing beats a bath filled with scented bubbles and a selection of Bud rubber ducks. Crazy but also kind of cool, they come in dozens of different patterns. All you need to add is mellow music (courtesy of a floating Bud Duck radio) and some pretty scented candles – the ultimate alien treat has to be a set of Flameless colour-changing Mooncandles. On a more down-to-earth note, toiletries gift sets make lovely gifts for girls, especially if they come in Me To You Bears packaging.

Christening and communion gifts that say: with love From Me To Y

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:33:48 +0100

When it comes to gifts for christenings and communions, no-one does it better than Me to You Bears Tatty Teddy. The famous thread-bare, blue-nosed bear, with his patched-up paws and winsome expression, is loved the world over, and not just as a baby gift.

The Teddy Bear can trace its origins back to the US president Theodore T. Roosevelt (the “T” is short for Teddy) who couldn’t 'bear' to kill a bear he cornered while hunting. The story of it being a bear cub is a myth – the animal was a fully-grown ferocious black bear which was promptly despatched by Theo’s companions. Very different to the adorable, cuddly Tatty Teddy it evolved into later!

Among the most popular of all christening gifts, teddy bears are unashamedly cute, and usually associated with new-born babies and toddlers. However, the success of the Me to You Tatty Teddy range is down to the fact that it appeals to people of all ages – not just infants, but older children, teens and grown-ups too. This makes Tatty Teddy items highly popular as communion and confirmation gifts, and many children build up quite a collection as they head towards adulthood! As well as soft toys, there’s chinaware, figurines, bedding, photo frames, stationary, keyrings, rucksacks and many other lines.

Gifts for confirmations, christenings and communions

People think choosing gifts for communions and confirmations has to be quite serious – but this is only true of the ceremony itself. Suitable communion and confirmation gifts include figurines, jewellery and photo frames. Me To You Bears have lovely Confirmation and Communion Day keepsakes, which make perfect gifts for girls – or boys – of seven or eight years old; the age at which children generally enter the church.

Confirmation and communion differ in that confirmation is a Christian ceremony, while communion is specific to the catholic faith. First Communion is very important to Catholic parents, but Tatty Teddies get the balance exactly right with their charming Communion gifts.

Before this, of course, is the infant baptism, or christening, the joyous occasion in which the baby is first welcomed into the church. Even those who don’t consider themselves “religious” are prepared to don their Sunday Best to announce this new arrival to the world. Of course, christening gifts are just as welcome at non-denominational ceremonies; just take a look at the Me To You toddler and baby gifts for inspiration.

Ideas for Christening gifts from the Tatty Teddy range

Friends and relatives are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing Me To You Christening gifts. A Tatty Teddy plush toy, wearing an “On Your Christening” t-shirt, will quickly become a favourite in the nursery. Another lovely christening gift is the Me To You “On Your Christening” Snow Globe – watch baby’s eyes as he chases the flurries!

No doubt your baby will be receiving a lot of “Good Luck” coins from well-wishers, so a Christening Money Ball is a useful present. And you’ll certainly need a Christening Guest Book for people to sign. Other christening gift ideas include Tatty Teddy “On Your Christening” trinket boxes, figurines, and Photo Frames.

How to plan a wedding on a budget keep it Tatty

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:37:34 +0100

Choosing gifts for weddings can often be a confusing and costly affair – so imagine how the poor bride and groom must feel! Leaving essentials like the venue and caterers aside, there are cake decorations to organise, bridesmaid gifts to buy, favour boxes to order, invitations to write, and everything else there is to organise.

Many couples leave the entire wedding planning process in the hands of a Wedding Organiser – very slick and colour-co-ordinated, and also very expensive. The alternative is the DIY approach, leaving aspects like wedding gift ideas to the discretion of the guests, and purchasing everything as cheaply as possible. However, the result is often uncoordinated and, dare we say it, a bit tatty.

Whoa! Did we say Tatty? Whether you are looking for cheap wedding gift ideas or innovative cake toppers, you can do a lot worse than plan your wedding from an online gift store which sells Me To You Tatty Teddy products. Me To You isn’t just about christening gifts and baby toys. They also sell an extensive range of wedding gifts, bridesmaids gifts, bridal favour boxes and other items, all featuring the cute little teddy with the blue nose.

Tips on planning a Tatty Teddy wedding

There are dozens of Me To You wedding and bridesmaid gift ideas, to suit all budgets. What could be better than finding a Tatty Teddy Lucky Horseshoe among your bridal bouquet, or having the rings presented on a Me To You ring Cushion? Toasters and matching dinnerware all have their place, but there’s something special about unpacking the wedding gifts to discover a pair of plush “Just Married” Tatty Teddies; or one sitting in a Congratulations heart.

If you’re the mother of the bride, remind her how much you love her with a “Special Daughter on her Wedding day” teddy. Just don’t smudge your mascara! Guests wanting ideas for wedding gifts will find Wedding Congratulations Teddies, Bride and Groom teddies and much more. As an alternative to soft toys, there are Me To You figurines with champagne bottles; Tatty Teddies photo frames and Celebration snow globes. For the ultimate romantic gesture, there’s even a Me To You bride and groom seated at a grand piano.

Tatty bridesmaids’ gifts

There are a wonderful selection of memorable Me To You gifts for bridesmaids. Among the things you can buy are trinket boxes, ribbon albums, figurines and photo frames. Inexpensive and packaged beautifully, they’re the perfect keepsake.

All eyes will be fixed on the cake at the reception, and a Me To You porcelain cake topper makes a charming and original alternative to the usual bride and groom. Tatty Teddy favour boxes and wedding balloons are all that’s needed to complete the picture. As people wend their way home, they’ll no doubt want to add their signatures to the Me To You Wedding guest book. As the happy couple change into their going away clothes, no doubt someone will be busy with the Tatty Teddies Just married luggage tags in the limo.

When it comes to ideas for wedding gifts, there are many places to look – the Hinz And Kunst Nut and Bolt figures, for example. However, with Me to You Bears you get the full wedding package.

No trick but lots of treats this Halloween

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:30:16 +0100

These days, Halloween gifts don’t have to stop at trick or treat bags. There’s a year-round craze for Things That Go Bump In The Night (think Doctor Who, GHI and Twilight), and Halloween has become as big an event as it is in America, with literally hundreds of Halloween gift ideas, to suit all pockets.

Whether it’s a Halloween birthday party, a fund-raising event, or just something a bit different for the trick or treat callers, there’s no shortage of Halloween gifts around. If you’re having a party at home, you can also decorate it in Halloween style. No need to go overboard – little touches can often be just as effective, especially if they’re quirky. For example, how about a Devil-shaped Celebriduck, to replace the usual yellow rubber bath duck? A few spooky cobwebs and glow-in-the-dark stickers, and your bathroom has been transformed!

Halloween is great fun for youngsters, and there are plenty of Halloween gifts which avoid overstepping into darker territory. NICI have created a range of plush soft toys and other collectibles especially for Halloween. NICI Castle Friends include witches, bats, werewolves, spiders and other miniatures, which are perfect for either trick or treat or Halloween party bags. Figurines are also great Halloween gift ideas. How about a limited edition My Blue Nose Friends Echo The Bat Figurine, or a Me To You Bears Tatty Teddy “Trick or Treat” statuette? Both make wonderful gifts for collectors, and are not in the least bit scary. In fact, you’ll find cuteness an overwhelming factor in the majority of Halloween gifts. There’s even a cute Frankenstein’s Monster keyring!

Of course, Halloween isn’t just for children – grown-ups can have fun as well. With bonfire night just around the corner, a lot of people will be combining the two into one celebration. With this in mind, there’s an eco-friendly alternative to fireworks: Eco Chinese flying Lanterns. The ideal Halloween gift if you’ve been invited to a “bring a firework” party, these have overcome the problem of metal wire holders (which are dangerous to livestock and environmentally unfriendly) with eco-friendly flame-retardant string. Rising silently (and some would say spookily) into the air, they can rise to over a mile and burn for around 20 minutes. Some people have even mistaken them for UFOs – perfect for a Halloween party!

Whatever you’re doing this Halloween, the chances are you’ll want to dress suitably for the occasion. But you can do better than a set of cheap plastic fangs and some face paints. There’s a whole range of accessories available that are the equivalent of anything you’d see in the Vampire Diaries. For example, how about a set of movie-quality Special FX Vampire Fangs? Amazingly realistic, these aren’t a toy but a professional stage accessory, and make great Halloween gifts for people who enjoy amateur performance. They are custom fitted with dental putty to the exact shape of your mouth, and by moving a bar with your tongue you can make them appear and disappear at will. Very effective if you want to give trick or treat callers a scare!

The top 6 gifts to stay warm this winter

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:05:53 +0100

Winter is creeping on – but so is the time for buying gifts. Whether it’s a Secret Santa present, a gift for someone celebrating a winter birthday, or useful stocking fillers for older members of the family, here are a few winter gift ideas which will keep the recipients warm as toast!

1) A china mug. A nice hot drink will keep the worst of the winter chills at bay – and it's funny how it tastes better if it’s served in a Fancy Mug. The Fancy Mugs range by NICI come in a wide range of personalised designs, including Call Centre worker, Fitness Freak, Music Lover, Football Champion and Glamour Star, so people will be in no mind who the mug belongs to! The ideal cold weather gift for someone tired of always searching for a beverage container.

2) Hot water bottle. Nothing quite warms the blood like cuddling up to a hot water bottle in the depths of winter. If it comes in its own cute fleecy case, a hottie also makes a great winter or Christmas gift. So seek out the adorable NICI range of plush hot water bottles and covers. Available in a wide choice of animal designs, including Calvin the Skunk, Classic Bear, Jolly Sheep, Love Cats and Winter Bears, you’ve got a positive menagerie of warm winter friends to choose from!

3) A fleece blanket. Following last year’s cold weather, the advice has been to carry at least one warm blanket in the car, in case you find yourself stranded. It’s good advice for indoors as well, especially if the boiler breaks down! The NICI Penguin range includes a large super soft plush fur blanket which, at 175cm by 140cm is large enough for an adult to wrap up comfortably. You’ll also find several warm fleece blankets in the Me To You Bears range, including a Christmas baby blanket and an innovative fleece with sleeves.

4) Warm comfy slippers. Nothing beats the feeling of changing into a pair of slippers that have been warming in front of the radiator. NICI have a range of cute adult slippers in sizes 4 – 8, which make perfect Christmas presents. Designs include Milo The Gorilla, Joey The Koala, Classic Caramel Bear, Jolly Mah White Sheep and Hetch Hogan The Hedgehog. There’s also Christmas Slipper Socks in the Me To You Bear Tatty Teddy collection.

5) An ice scraper for the car. Much more effective – and less environmentally unfriendly – than a de-icer spray, the NICI Ice Guys Black Penguin Car Window Ice Scraper is actually a scraper mitt – so your hand stays warm while you clear the ice away! The Mr Men range includes a handy ice scraper, and a pop-up windscreen frost and sun shield.

6) A thermos flask. A warm drink on a cold day can be a life saver, but it’s not always possible to find a Starbucks! New to the Ice Guys Black Penguin range is a chunky thermos flask, ideal for taking hot soup, chocolate drinks and the like to school or work.

No-one can predict what the Great British Winter is going to be like, but these winter gift ideas will ensure everyone is well prepared.

Cheap and cheerful Christmas gift ideas that wont break the ban

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:24:43 +0100

With Christmas, it’s often the little things we remember the most. The small, but thoughtful stocking fillers; the zany Secret Santa gifts; the special baubles that marked a particularly special year - Baby’s First Christmas, for example.

Xmas is a time for giving, but these days the present buying doesn’t stop at stocking fillers for the family. Secret Santa has become a common event in every school and workplace across the country, on top of which there are the inevitable end-of-term teachers’ gifts, presents for work colleagues etc. Luckily there are hundreds of quality Christmas gifts available; cute, romantic, zany and humorous, which won’t break your budget. If you’re stuck for Crimbo present ideas, we’ve made a few suggestions to point you in the right direction.

Christmas gift ideas with the cuteness factor

With a special range of themed toys and figurines for Xmas, the Me To You Bears Tatty Teddy collection offers maximum cuteness and lovability, no matter how old the recipient. Tatty Teddy Christmas gifts range from Limited Editions like the Me To You Back in the Day Mini Car Figurine, to smaller items such as mobile phone cases, jewellery and photo frames. Take a look and you’ll find endless inspiration for Secret Santa gifts and stocking fillers, plus Tatty Teddy Christmas decorations and personalised items.

How about a My 1st Xmas bauble, for a new arrival in the family? Or an Under The Mistletoe Figurine for the love of your life? There are personalised Me To You Bears gifts for Sisters, Special Friends, Dads and anyone else you care about. And if you care about your home, what better way to decorate it than a collection of Tatty Teddy Crimbo figurines and decorations?

Secret Santa gifts for everyone

When it comes to Secret Santa, originality definitely counts over cost. Luckily, there is no end of affordable, humorous Christmas gifts, which give you the scope to think “outside the box” and get inventive.

For the computer geek, how about a USB Desktop Christmas Tree, or a cute mouse mat and screen wipe? A colleague who spends all their spare time zapping aliens on their mobile phone might appreciate an AppToyz App Blaster App Gun Toy – or a Pac-Man keyring. If the person you’ve picked is known for their ultra-tidy (or extremely untidy) desk, a Desktop Henry or Hetty Hoover will be appreciated. And for the workmate in charge of the Lottery syndicate – it just has to be a Gold Bullion Bar Money Box. For the animal lover in the group, a Hungry Hounds Doggy Bank would make an ideal Secret Santa gift. And for the person who’s always dreaming of arriving at school or work in a Maserati - an F1 portable “Race in a Case” is an affordable alternative!

Ingenious stocking fillers for the musically minded

There are endless Christmas gift ideas to suit music lovers – everything from High Heel speakers to a portable mini-drum kit keyring. And for the person who loves to sing in the bath, how about a floating duck that doubles as an AM/FM radio?

From BUD Rubber Bath Ducks, to Hinz and Kunst metal nut and bolt trombonists, there are endless Christmas gift ideas to be had online.

Valentine's Day gift ideas for the romantic, funny and cheeky

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:37:49 +0000

Valentine gifts can be romantic, funny and cheeky. They can also be useful, in the form of heart-shaped keyrings and phone charms, which divide into two halves, allowing the couple to each carry a reminder of their love. Just one of several “heart breaking” Valentine's Day gift ideas doing the rounds this February, which allow you to proclaim your love without breaking the bank!

Flowers and chocolates – the traditional standbys for Valentine’s Day – are short-lasting, expensive and predictable. A fortune is spent on red roses, the traditional symbol of romance, each February 14th, when the price goes through the roof. Yet a wilting vase of flowers is hardly an emblem of undying love, is it? Whereas a Tatty Teddy figurine, coyly clutching a single red rose and heart-shaped cushion, most definitely is – and is available for around the same price.

Cute and lovable, the Me To You Bears collection includes a whole range of affordable Valentine's Day gifts, for romantics of all ages. They include plush toys, resin models, key rings, purses, photo frames and more – with some cheeky twists. For example, boxer shorts carrying a Valentine message are often met with a groan by the guys who have to wear them. Yet Me To You Bears have a “Boyfriend” Tatty Teddy in Valentine’s Boxers that definitely won’t be relegated to the back of the drawer. Plus, if you’re unattached – but fancy someone desperately – Me to You Valentine’s Day Mini Notes are an inexpensive way of getting the message across.

Whatever your romantic status – married, new relationship or just looking – there are Valentine gifts to suit your style and budget. However, February 14th isn’t just for romantic couples. It’s a celebration of love in all its forms, and you’d be surprised how many Valentine's Day gifts there are for kids to give their parents and vice versa. How about a Mood Duck floating radio for mum, or a “Love You This Much” Tatty Teddy for Gran or Granddad?

Valentine’s Day is also the perfect excuse for a good party. Dress as outrageously or demurely as you dare and then let your hair down - who knows, it could even be the start of a new romance. You’ll find plenty of Valentine ideas online to make your party swing, from floating heart shaped glow drops for the pool, to heart shaped ice cube trays – complete with plastic arrows – to pop into drinks. For a fun touch, couples can take turns on the Mystical Love Predictor, or have table-top “Sex On Legs” races! (with wind-up toys, naturally).

If you’re looking for slightly less risqué Valentine's Day gift ideas, Chinese flying lanterns could have been made for the occasion. Far more romantic than fireworks, eco-friendly versions are now available, which will remain aloft for up to 20 minutes. Romantic couples – or singles looking for romance - can write secret wishes on the paper, light the wick and watch their softly glowing lanterns drift into the sky, taking their amorous hopes with them. The legend says the lanterns only float back to earth after the wishes have come true – and who are we to argue?