And after what can only charitably be called ‘a challenging year’, we are once again at the Christmas season. Even in these Unprecedented Times, some things never change, and the desire to celebrate what we are grateful for, with friends and family, is at the top of my list. If you’re looking for ideas for gifts for the family and love ones this Christmas season, here are a few ideas, in the Annual ThreadNZ Christmas Gift Guide for 2020.
HOMEMADE GIFTS
I love recycling, and I repurposed a wooden courier box as a children’s gift box with colouring-in paper pages glued to the lid over the brand name. Simply place your gifts inside, and you’ve got a handy box they can re-use to store toys and treasures in.
Dried flower hoop wreaths are a big Instagram trend and are in all the florists right now and are fun to create yourself. You can add pinecones, gold leaves, and dried berries to any wreath to make it more Christmas-themed. Read my DIY dried flower wreath tutorial on Threadnz.com here using hoop wreaths from Spotlight.
TWEENS GIFTS
Here are some gift ideas for a difficult age to buy for – young tweens. For those who are Harry Potter fans, how about these Wizarding World bath and beauty products?
There’s inexpensive gift ideas from makeup and brushes and toilet bags in every Hogwarts House colour, a velvet sleep mask, along with my personal pick- a Golden Snitch bath bomb. I bet plenty of people will get these for themselves, not just for the kids. What Hogwarts House are you in?! Harry Potter Bath & Beauty range of Christmas gift ideas, available from The Warehouse for $9 for a velvet sleep mask, $15 for the toilet bags, $20 for a makeup or brush set, $8 for the Golden Snitch bath bomb.
Another great idea for older teens/young adults is a fun fragrance, and Britney Spears Festive Fantasy is a sparkly pretty bottle with a sweet smell that will appeal to fans of her popular brand. It’s priced affordably too and available at Farmers and selected pharmacies.
NATURAL SKINCARE LOVERS
A perfect gift idea for lovers of natural skincare; Trilogy gift packs are out for Christmas and the packaging is not only pretty, it is sustainable too. You can gift responsibly this year thanks to the recyclable packaging and eco-friendly vegan cosmetic bags made from washable paper.
These Linden Leaves bonbon crackers are so cute and priced at just $15.99 making them ideal for those under $20 gifts. Choose from a variety of fragrances such as Lavendar and Sandalwood, Rose & Ylang Ylang, and Pink grapefruit and pepper, they hold a mini hand cream and mini pick me up body oil to keep your skin soft and hydrated. Made with love in New Zealand, the bonbons contain only natural ingredients and 100% natural fragrance and are vegan-friendly.
EARTH-FRIENDLY
Love wine AND saving our oceans? You’ll love this. Koparepare wine, by Whitehaven, is donating 100% of its first 125 cases towards LegaSea charity, for the protection of New Zealand’s marine environment. After that, the family owned winery will donate $1 from every bottle sold to the charity.
HOME AND FRAGRANCE
The Aromatherapy Company has released the prettiest Christmas range of matching fragrance stories in gorgeous designs. They all sound good enough to eat: Sparkling Mimosa, Xmas Pud, Sugar Plum, and Watermelon Breeze, in candles, lip balms, and nourishing hand creams.
The Aromatherapy Co Therapy Range has Trio Hand Cream Set for $24.95, and Trio Diffuser Set ($29.95) as well as Therapy Man Charcoal Soap. Everyone, even the hardest people to buy for, love a candle or a nice hand cream, and these are sure to bring a smile. The packaging is super cute too, I hardly feel like you need to wrap it!
LUSH Snow Fairy saves Christmas ? Sit back breathe deep and let the sugary sweetness engulf you. The signature Snow Fairy scent come sin this HUGE range of products, with a gift for everyone. Available at LUSH stores and online at LUSH.
FOR HIM
Men can have sensitive skin too. This is something that essano’s co-founder Shane Young had to experience himself. Frustrated with the lack of products on the market for men with sensitive skin, he set out to create a range of skincare for men that’s gentle, natural and effective. You won’t find any harmful ingredients, such as parabens, SLEs, ALEs, PEGs, PPGs, mineral oils, phthalates, GMOs, ethoxylates, and never tested on animals. Essano MAN men’s skincare pack, $25.
FOR THE FOODIE
These delectable Christmas baked goods and hamper are some of the delicious things on offer at Daily Bread, which is now open at 43 Eversleigh Road, Belmont, on Auckland’s North Shore. Christmas must-haves include the box of fruit mince tarts, and the boxed panetone. Yum! Perfect either to share on Christmas day, or to give as a gift to the foodie in your life.
FOR BEAUTY-LOVERS
Cosmetic Chemist Terri Vinson has written Skinformation, A Clean Science Guide to Beautiful Skin. It’s an indispensable guide for skincare nerds and novices alike with helpful tips and scientific knowledge of all things skincare and cosmetic. Cut through the hype and marketing; stop wasting money, and make more informed decisions regarding your skin. This would be a perfect gift for lovers of skincare.
HELPING OTHERS
Leprosy Mission sent me this lovely mask made by a woman cured of leprosy learning sewing for employment (they can cure leprosy now using antibiotics! Amazing news) and you can gift treatment to people at http://leprosymission.org.nz – what an awesome gift idea.
Well, I think ‘helping others’ is a nice note to end on, so I wish you all a very merry Christmas, a joyful holiday with your family, and a happy new year.
By Megan Robinson
6 December 2020
Disclosure: not a sponsored post. Some items gifted for review. Photos and opinions all my own.