Winter Gift Guide For Him & Her

Christmas may have been and gone but with plenty of winter birthdays and perhaps other reasons to treat a loved one in the coldest months of the year, a present that’s practical can often be your best bet.  Presents that fit with your loved one’s immediate needs (and, in winter, there are plenty of them!) are sometimes the most appreciated but you don’t have to spend over the odds to get something that they’ll use and love.  It’s all about looking at quality and cost per wear/use.

I’m quite good at getting those I love awesome presents that they’ll actually use at an affordable price point for me so its a win, win situation.  They get something they really want and will make use of rather than it just cluttering up the place and I am smug in the knowledge that I didn’t get ripped off and so happy that they’ll love the thing that I’ve got them.  I thought I’d share some of my safe bets with you in this gift guide that’ll suit him and her.

WINTER CLOTHES

Warm clothing is an obvious winter gift.  Anyone who’s had to endure the chilling whip of a December wind on their way to work or strolling bar to bar down Grey Street will know the importance of wrapping up warm.  The following options are a safe bet for him and for her:

• A smart and warm pair of gloves- whether you splash out on a pair of Mulberry leather gloves or you go for some with tech enabled finger tips so that they can keep using their phone while they’re wearing them.
• A woollen beanie had or tweed flat cap, especially for him and a bobble hat or ear muffs for her.  My boyfriend and I have similar navy bobble hats and we look so cute wearing them together, even if I do say so myself.  Although perhaps some would giggle that we’re channelling knitted Justin & Britney vibes!
• A reliable, stylish, all-weather coat from the Gloverall collection
• Thick socks particularly for those who have a job working outside, or snuggly socks for in the house; I’ve been reliably informed that The White Company have the most amazing cashmere socks!
• A scarf, you cannot go wrong with a scarf, especially if you pick a colour that’ll complement their most worn jacket.

The list goes on.  Winter clothing gifts are greatly appreciated and will be particularly so this year if the Beast From The East is to return as is predicted!

TICKETS FOR A SHOW

Winter is panto, theatre and musical season and there’s nothing more exciting than jumping on the train, Metro or bus to your local city centre to enjoy the marvels of the stage.  Possibly most appropriate for a partner or loved one, but equally fun with friends, you’ll find a trip to a show is the perfect way to huddle into a beautiful building to watch something spellbinding and memorable.

Other than musical theatre and dramatic productions, there are also comedy nights, open mic evenings, poetry recitals and gigs for you to enjoy with friends and family, escaping the winter chill for a little dose of cultural delights.  This January I bought my boyfriend lots of tickets to The Customs House for Jason Cook’s Comedy Club over the coming months, to go towards his birthday gift.  We love comedy and going to see a gig is the ideal date night for us.  I wrote all about the best comedy club in the North East in this blog post.

ENTERTAINMENT

Winter is traditionally a time in which we spend more of our days indoors to escape the cold temperatures. The nights are longer so there’s plenty of time to enjoy some at-home entertainment with your family.  These kinds of gifts will provide hours of entertainment:

• A book – whether the latest best-seller or a winter recipe book (you could buy the ingredients for a recipe to go with it too!)
• A board game that you can play with your family
• Video games that are multi-player and interactive; my boyfriends son has just got a Nintendo Switch and has been engrossed in playing Fortnight with his friends ever since!
• A subscription to a TV service like Sky Box Sets or Netflix
• Artistic materials to create paintings and drawings with or just something to be creative with in general.  Last year I got my boyfriend a scrap book and photo printer for Valentines so that we could put together all of the little ticket stubs and photos we’d collected from our date nights!

Naturally, the list goes on. If you’re buying for a family member, a collective gift, such as the board game, can be a real winner to get everyone involved in bonding together.  Or if you’d rather they were seen and not heard, a game they can play with headphones in on their own might be a better option!

FOOD & DRINK

A quick mention to food and drink, which is naturally something enjoyed to the fullest in the winter period! Whether you buy chocolates or chutneys, a bottle of their favourite spirit or wine, something to eat or drink can be a real winner if you know what the person loves!

Hopefully, this short guide will have provided you with plenty of ideas to go out into the world to treat your nearest and dearest this winter time.