Christmas shopping can be hugely stressful and for some reason I find the men folk are always the trickiest to buy for.  I can never think of anything ‘good’ to gift and likely get it totally wrong with some random gadget.  How can gifting be this difficult?

Having said that, I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of gifting the men in my life. The husband usually gets what he requests but with some surprise presents thrown into the pile, like a scuba diving Smurf or a favourite boxset.  Occasionally I’ve handmade a cross stitched bookmark or sewn a cushion for my now sadly departed Dad.  I just love the thrill of giving something I’ve really spent time on, and I think these are the gifts people genuinely love to receive.

But it doesn’t have to made by your own fair hands or cost a fortune to mean something special, as long as it’s thoughtful.

So, for the blokes who truly deserve a treat they’ll actually love this Christmas, here’s my top gift ideas:

[ DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS GIFTED PRODUCTS.  ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN, NOT OF THE BRANDS NAMED. ]

STASH TRAY (The Personalised Gift Shop, £35)

Men are notorious junk hoarders who think they don’t need a bag to contain it all.  That’s my husband, anyway.  Phone, keys, cash – it all comes out of the pocket at the end of the day and dumped on the window sill.  Well not anymore!  This beautiful stash tray from The Personalised Gift Shop makes the perfect place to hold all those bits and pieces while looking super stylish too.

Made from genuine solid oak and finished to a soft natural varnish, the sizeable chunky stash stray can be personalised for an extra thoughtful touch.  I thought “Daddy’s Crap” was the perfect cheeky message for the Other Half.  Well, it’s only telling the truth!

PREMIUM VODKA (Tiger Gin)

Alcohol is usually a pretty good gift for anyone who isn’t teetotal.  For something a little bit different and extra special for Christmas, a premium liquor such as Tiger Vodka by Tiger Gin would be a fab treat.  

English made Tiger Vodka is a refreshing 40% proof vodka that’s been distilled four times for a smooth, clean taste.  A smart gift for a Dad who appreciates the finer things in life.

MAN BOX (Ross & Ross, £22)

Fine food goes hand in hand with Christmas, so gifting a mini hamper of delicious British artisan food and drink is an amazing idea for a true foodie.  

The tongue in cheek ‘Merry Christmas’ Man Box is aimed toward the men in your life who are ridiculously hard to buy for but you know would appreciate a premium quality present they can actually use.  Food and drink is always a great idea.  Contained within the recyclable card box is a delicious mix of treats: a Cotswold Curer Salami Sausage, a jar of Ross & Ross Apple Chutney, a packet of Trotter’s Pork Crackling and a bottle of Cotswold craft lager.  The lucky man who receives this goodie box will be glad to supplement those turkey sandwiches!

CUSTOM ENAMEL MUG (Photobox, £9.99)

If all else fails, a truly personalised gift will always make a winning present with Dad.  Stick a photo on of the kids and he’ll be all smiles.

Photobox are always good for a personalised gift, and their range of mugs offers a choice of styles.  The compact enamel mug is the perfect gift because it’s unbreakable and hardy, meaning it can be taken into the garden, the shed, or even on a hike!  I made up the message “Your wildest adventure” and added three photos of Reuben being all silly.  My husband could take this on his outdoor adventures and have his main man (his wildest adventure!) accompany him.  Don’t tell me that’s not sweet.

NEXTBASE DASH CAM (Amazon, £78.95)

If your man’s a driver, the hottest gadget at the moment is definitely a dash cam.  Protect yourself and your insurance premium by installing a dash cam that can record your every journey on the road.

The Nextbase Deluxe 312GW is a fab model to invest in; it won the Which? Best Buy of 2018 accolade and has smart features making using a dash cam as easy as ever.  It records in full 1080p HD, has night vision, built-in GPS for easy tracking on Google Maps and is wi-fi enabled to swiftly download footage to your phone.  If you’re looking for a gadget gift, you wouldn’t go far wrong with this dash cam.

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Who’s the trickiest man to buy for in your life?

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