33 days to go! English Mum’s Annual Online Christmas Shopping Guide
UPDATE:
Here’s a new discovery from the lovely Jen:
Cox & Cox: Should be renamed Englishmumstuff.co.uk as it contains every lovely, Christmassy, sparkly, arty, craft, kitcheny gorgeous thing I love (Including snowflake cookie cutters – received today, thanks muchly Jen! xxx) and yes they deliver internationally. Make an order quick if for no other reason than because you’ll get a free copy of their droolworthy catalogue.
Oh, and there’s only 33 days to now. Aaarrrrghhhh!
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So there’s just 36 35 34 33 days until Christmas (I know, I know) and about this time last year, I provided you with my Online Shopping Awards – a warts and all guide to the best (and sometimes not so best) places to doing your shopping online. This year it’s bigger and better. So there’s no excuse for giving your loved one a tin of Heroes from Asda.
The big few are still in there pitching:
Amazon are okay for books, but they still won’t deliver games or toys to Ireland for some bloody insane reason.
Play.com is really good, with free delivery worldwide and the chance to try other traders on Playtrade, but make sure the product really is still good value once you’ve changed from £ into € – their exchange rate is ludicrous (especially seeing as it looks like it won’t be long before the £ and € get neck and neck)..
CD-Wow is another old favourite with free delivery. They have an Irish site too.
Ireland
Here’s a bit of credit where credit’s due. Last year, I moaned that Nextdirectory.ie had extortionate delivery charges, but this year they’ve dropped from €9.50 to €5. Bargain. The range is still nowhere near that of its UK cousin, Next.co.uk, but still, it’s a great site.
Kitchen Complements still gets my vote as one of the best sites for kitchen stuff. Delivery is worldwide and the price depends on the weight and destination – full details on their fantastic website.
Living Gifts is just such a beautiful website, sending beautiful foodie hampers containing artisan produced goodies: chocolates, cakes, puds and preserves along with hand made pottery, cookbooks… you name it, all delivered in hamper baskets with a small fresh flower bouquet and your greeting on a pretty gift card. The lovely Mary at Living Gifts especially recommended their Orla Kiely for Butlers selection of gourmet chocolates including salt, nutmeg and chilli, for chocolate lovers: ‘a feast for the senses!’ in a gorgeous keepsake box designed by Orla Kiely. Delivery to Ireland, the UK, Europe, Oz, and the US. Price depends on the weight and destination. Full details on their website.
The girls at Beaut highly recommend: Cloon Keen Atelier . They do the most beautifully packaged smellies, body care stuff and candles. Check out their wondrous Christmas Morning candle, containing vanilla, pipe tobacco (which always reminds me of Uncle D, Moon’s lovely Dad), clove and cinnamon. Yum scrum. Worldwide shipping. [Edit: and they're very friendly too - hello Maggie!]
UK
If you live in the UK, or have friends or family there that you need to send pressies to, John Lewis is, as always, difficult to beat tops this Christmas, with FREE delivery on everything. They do fantastic gift sets of perfumes and that sort of stuff, flowers, jewellery, luggage, electrical gadgets for the boys, clothes… you name it.
Couverture sells the most beautiful items for the home, plus great clothing and it even has a vintage section. Delivery is £5.95 in the UK. Overseas delivery can be arranged but you’d need to contact them for pricing.
Hotel Chocolat is recommended by the Disreputable One. One of their orders was lost en route to us here in Ireland and they sent a new batch without a single quibble and with a lovely letter of apology too. The original order then turned up and we were fair drowing in their beautiful chocolate. Delivery worldwide and they have a US site as well (hotelchocolat.com). Their Ultimate Chocolate Advent Calendar contains seriously grown-up chocolate – 40% & 50% high cocoa milk, white with cherries and dark with Valencia orange cast into beautiful Christmas figures
Back on the guide for the second year is Vintage Wine Gifts. I use this site loads. You can search by region, drink, age, whatever and then send your wine, champagne, port, spirits, etc in the UK for £5.99 a bottle (delivery for orders over £39.99 is free) and internationally for £19.99 a bottle. The bottles are shipped in beautiful silk-lined wooden boxes and you get to choose a delivery date too. I’ve never once had a problem with an order.
Last year, the lovely, friendly, nothing-is-too-much-trouble Phil at Kiss the Cook made gorgeous little aprons for my nephews and nieces, embroidered with things like ‘Domestic Goddess in Training’, and this year she’s making me a special English Mum apron. I love my ‘Chocolat!’ napkins too. Postage from just £1.75 in the UK. Worldwide orders no problem, either.
Have some fun with your photos at Moo.com as well. I ordered some thank you cards with Bert on – they always go down a storm. P&P is only about €5, and that’s anywhere in the world. Great site and their customer service is second to none.
So there you have it. Anyone else got any favourites to add? Oh, and sorry I’m not about much, I’m testing cake recipes and am off to grate a kilo of carrots for a carrot cake. Whoopee!
19 Responses to “33 days to go! English Mum’s Annual Online Christmas Shopping Guide”
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I’m popping right over to Kiss the Cook now for a gander.
One site I just recently came across, but haven’t ordered from as yet, is http://www.notonthehighstreet.com
CP x
36 days… WHA’????
I don’t consider myself a christian, but still, eating baby jesus is just not right.
Kiss the Cook are highly, highly recommended – lovely people. Not on the High Street looks good – beautiful stuff – I wonder what their deliver to Ireland is like? x
Pukey: You’re welcome. I’m darned good at spending – always happy to spread the love
Susan: I love it. I’m going to get Chrimbo cards done too – poor Bert will have to be covered in tinsel again
Jay: They’re a great company. And you can’t beat John Lewis UK pressies. I miss Johnny Lou Lous *sigh*
Tina: Me too, it’s a funky site. Hmmm, yes, I’d probably be with you on the Jesus eating thing. It’s not very festive, is it – noshing on the chosen one.
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