Unless you are super organised and have done all of your Christmas shopping (I haven’t) the frenzied festive shopping period is fast approaching. There are so many lovely things to choose from and I have chosen a few of my favourite brands this year and places where I will be looking for Christmas present ideas and inspiration.
Victoria Eggs
My first choice is a company called Victoria Eggs. Named after the award winning designer behind the range, the Victoria Eggs range of homeware, gift, cards and gift wrap are bright, colourful, fun and unique. There is a very British theme running through the different designs with themes such as the British barbecue, gardening, London, English dinner and some great pieces featuring cockney rhyming slang. I love the whole range but the Christmas range in particular is really eye-catching and would make perfect gifts.
Hotel Chocolat
You can’t have Christmas without chocolate that is for sure, but if you want something very special, then Hotel Chocolat is the place to go. There is a huge choice of chocolate to suit every taste and budget and whatever you choose, you can guarantee that it will look and taste amazing. Here are just a few of the tasty treats in the Christmas 2014 range.
Marbel
Marbel are a toy distributor with a huge range of amazing brands such as Brio, Hape, Lottie and Nanoblock. There is no end of inspiration on their website if you are looking for ideas for presents for children.
Nanoblock sets are amazing. If you have children who like using building blocks, they will love these. It is a little bit like LEGO for older children as Nanoblock use micro-sized building blocks which measure a mere 4x4x5mm for the smallest blocks. We have had a couple of Nanoblock sets before; one animal and one building and R enjoyed working with the smaller bricks and being able to create such detailed models with them.
Nanoblock offer different ranges of challenge and many of the sets are recreations in miniature of some of the world’s well known sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. One of the newest sets is a model of the Titanic which looks fantastic. There are also animals, birds, vehicles and musical instruments all recreated in great detail.
We were sent the Arc de Triomphe set and it is perfect for R. The age range for Nanoblock is 8 – 14 depending on the size and the challenge of the set. They are quite fiddly to put together but offer more of a challenge than other toys of this type. They are also a great way of teaching your children about different places in the world.
So there are a few places to look for those all important present ideas. Happy shopping.
I was sent items to review from all of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own.
Some lovely ideas, and thanks for introducing me to Marbel and Victoria Eggs – off to explore!
The Reading Residence recently posted…Silent Sunday – 16/11/14
Thank you, I hope you find some inspiration
I love, love, love Hotel Chocolat! We often buy their selections as gifts.
I bought the Hubby a Nanoblocks set a couple of years ago, it was a grand piano and he loved it. I think we’re considering it this year for LP.
I hadn’t heard of Victoria Eggs but I’m just off to check out their website. Great reviews. xx
Morgan Prince recently posted…Forget About Technology
Yes I saw the grand piano set and thought it looked wonderful. There are so many lovely sets, I am going to invest in a couple more.
You’ve reminded me about Hotel Chocolat – I remember a fabulous advent calendar I had from there. Will take a look at the other sites too: need to start Christmas shopping and these are ideal places to visit.
Trish recently posted…48 hours in Amsterdam – Part Two
The advent calendars are amazing, I keep hinting to my husband how lovely they are but I think I may have to resort to buying one for myself
Love the festive designs from Victoria Egg, you can never go wrong with chocolate and I think Max would enjoy the nano blocks- they have a minecrafty look don’t they!
Sonya Cisco recently posted…Snapshots of a Weekend
They do look a bit like Minecraft actually, I hadn’t thought of that. No wonder my son loves them then as he is obsessed with all things Minecraft
Book marked all of these, they look fabulous. I am not allowed to Christmas shop before my youngest’s birthday which was yesterday so I am hitting the internet this afternoon!
Oh my goodness, those Nanoblocks look AMAZING! My 8 year old would LOVE those! Thanks for the idea xx
Some brilliant ideas for Christmas! Particularly love the Victoria Eggs range, totally great for English Expats! 🙂
I’ve not heard of Victoria Egg before but feel I need to pop over and see what I can get my MIL for Christmas (or maybe even myself)
Boo Roo and Tigger Too recently posted…Christmas Guide: Advent Calendars
What a lovely selection! Definitely need to get some Hotel Chocolate this year – they look particularly yummy!
Mary Keynko recently posted…From the cradle to the grave
Why have I never heard of Victoria Eggs before x x
Cass@frugalfamily recently posted…Our (much cheaper) alternative to a portable DVD player….
Ahh some lovely new companies for me to check out – thank you! I like to buy things a little different for Christmas.
Oh some lovely ideas there. I bet the people who are super organised are planning next year anyway so can still benefit from this post.
Pinkoddy recently posted…YouTube: Bloggers Beginners Guide
Love the sound of those nano blocks
becky recently posted…Thrifty Pick of the Week – Apple Crates
Ooooooh I love the look of the Victoria Eggs stuff, I may have added it down on my Christmas list.
Ohh Victoria Eggs goods look really nice, thanks Mich x
Michelle Twin Mum recently posted…My top 10 #AYASummit Moments
Oooooh, Hotel chocolate is a BIG favourite of mine.
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My hubby would go a bit bits for those Nanoblocks I think and not let z anywhere near it. I love those pretty oven gloves. Might have to check it out!