The festive season is once more upon us, and that likely means increased stress and expense, with lots to organise and scores of relatives to buy for.
At HA&W, we can’t help you master the perfect table setting, and we wouldn’t dare tinker with your family roast dinner recipe. But we might just be able to help take some pressure off your present shopping.
Keep reading for your rundown of the seven best gifts for your loved ones this Christmas.
For her
1. A wine-tasting murder mystery (wine sold separately!)
For a dinner party with a difference, why not buy your loved one a murder mystery party in a box, set around an exclusive wine-tasting evening?
As an elite crowd gathers at the renowned Château des Folles for the wine and cheese party to end all parties, eccentric billionaire and sponsor, Alain Bosc, takes a bite of cheese, collapses, and dies. Could it be murder?
This pack includes everything you need for the perfect murder mystery evening, from a guide for the host to evidence packs, character booklets, and suggestions for costumes, decorations, and your dinner menu.
And, at only £20, you’ll have plenty of money left over to buy the wine and the cheese for your guests to enjoy… if they dare!
2. The Ritual of Advent Deluxe Advent Calendar
Why wait until Christmas Day to give your gift this year? And why give just one gift when you could give 24?
The new deluxe advent calendar from Rituals contains 24 delights inspired by the Unesco heritage of Amsterdam. The set includes hand wash, face and body mask, shower gel, scalp scrub, and candles, with a retail value of £196.
For him
3. A Hawkstone beer hamper
This luxury beer hamper includes four beers from Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone Brewery, based in the Cotswolds.
Enjoy an award-winning premium lager, an IPA, a pilsner, and a session beer, all of which are sure to impress any beer-loving dad, granddad, or husband.
The hamper also features a selection of savoury goodies, as the perfect beer accompaniment.
4. Diesel Train Driving Experience
For the train enthusiast in your family, there’s no better present this Christmas than the chance to spend the day on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, with the chance to drive a 1950s heritage Diesel Railcar.
Experienced drivers will use the morning to provide essential theory, and some important hands-on lessons before your giftee takes to the footplate to drive an 18-mile round-trip from Wirksworth to Duffield in Derbyshire.
Guests are welcome too, with lunch provided in the Pullman Buffet at Wirksworth station, and a guard’s brake van attached so that you can all ride behind the locomotive. There’s plenty of scenery to enjoy, as well as the chance to stand on the veranda and feel the wind in your hair.
A truly magical experience!
For the grandchildren
5. Gabby’s Dollhouse mess-free colouring
Perfect for the creative kids in your family, the Crayola Colour Wonder mess-free book will keep youngsters entertained for hours. And it’ll save you hours of tidying up too!
The set comes with 18 colouring pages and five pens. Most importantly, the pens only work on the set’s pages, which keeps your walls, floors, and pets safe from impromptu redecoration. It also encourages children to stay on the paper, and within the lines, when they move on to “non-magic” pages.
The Gabby’s Dollhouse set will be hugely popular this year, but other sets are available so there’s bound to be something to suit your grandson or granddaughter.
6. Real FX Disney Stitch puppet
This hugely interactive puppet based on the Disney character Stitch (of Lilo and Stitch fame) is already looking like a must-have this Christmas.
At over 45cm (17 inches) tall and packed with interactivity it’s sure to keep your grandchildren busy for hours. It features:
- 100 “lifelike” sounds and movements
- Touch sensors on its head, nose, and mouth
- Blinking eyes, and a controllable mouth and ears.
It combines incredible animatronics with everything you’d expect from a cuddly toy, all encased in its own alien capsule packaging.
7. Yoto player
As far back as our 2020 Christmas gift list, we at HA&W have been fans of the TonieBox, a durable audio player perfect for introducing youngsters to the beauty of storytelling.
This Christmas, though, the Yoto player (now on its 3rd generation) could be set to take the Tonie’s crown.
As with the Tonie, the Yoto player allows your child to listen to lullabies, meditations, and stories, to help them drift off to sleep while opening up their imaginations. You can download stories by the likes of Roald Dahl and JK Rowling to play digitally. You can also buy special cards, that you or your child can select, which slot into the player. This gives your child independence when they’re old enough to choose their own bedtime stories.
The mature design means that the Yoto player can grow with a young child, starting as a nightlight and lullaby player, before becoming an indispensable gateway to storytelling and adventure.
