As the joy of the festive season fills the air, shops start to extend their hours to accommodate the flurry of festive shoppers, and Christmas lights twinkle in the dark night skies; there is something so joyful about this time of year. As children create their wish lists of Christmas gifts they would like from Santa this year, adults stock the hidden depths of their cupboards with gifts for their loved ones — each with a special meaning, a lot of thought and love.
After 18 months of spending time apart from loved ones and missing out on a season of festive celebrations, it’s all about making this year extra special. Gone are the days of zoom calls and e-gift cards and back are the in-person gatherings and physical gifts. This year, I’m creating a surprise gift goodie bag for my father, someone who worked tirelessly over the pandemic, whilst arranging a whole a house renovation and slowly transitioning into retirement all within 18 months – which is why my goodie bag for him this Christmas focuses on the feel good factor and touch of TLC. I just need to find a good way to hide this from him, until the big day.
Boots have a fantastic range of products with gifts for Secret Santa, Christmas Gifts for Her, and Christmas gifts for Him, of which the latter perfectly fits in with my surprise gift theme, so I’ve picked a few things that I think would really help my dad get back on track and feel extra special this season. I also prefer giving my gifts in a very unique way, especially at Christmas. I never put my gifts under the tree like most, I hide them around the house, in places where those who the gifts are intended for can find them whilst navigating around the house.
Starting with the gift of scent, Paco Rabanne One Million, a fragrance that perfectly fits my dad’s palette. It has a fresh, spicy accord with top notes of Blood Mandarin & Peppermint, mid notes of Rose, Cinnamon & Musk with base notes of Leather Accord, Amber & Patchouli. It’s a scent of success, which perfectly sums up my father in a nutshell. This gift will be wrapped up in gold wrapping paper, stored away in his wardrobe, in line with all his other colognes. The perfect spot for him to find it when he gets ready on Christmas day.
The second gift is the gift of self care with a luxury bathing trio by Baylis and Harding. I ordered the Ginseng and Black Pepper gift set as its a rich and timeless fragrance which perfect fits into the festive season. The kit comes with a perfectly curated set of 300ml hair and body wash, 200ml shower gel and 200ml aftershave balm kit, which perfectly fits into my dad’s morning routine, helping him feel fresh and ready for the day. I plan on hiding this gift in the main bathroom, in the drawer under the sink. With a little note hinting to look inside for a little surprise.
Continuing on with the gift of relaxation with a mini massage cushion, perfect for relieving muscle tension and help him relax and soothe any tired muscles, especially after he’s spent the day gardening (his much loved pastime). I love the fact it’s a compact device that can be placed on the sofa and can seamlessly massage as he relaxes in front of the TV. Especially in the winter time, the added heat mode gives a deeper treatment and the added luxury of warmth. This gift will be hidden under the recliner of my dad’s spot on the sofa, so when he goes to recline on the sofa, he’ll find a way to relax even more on Christmas day.
Finishing off with the gift of wellness with a weekend bag filled with a selection of musk and spice scented body products to use when he goes for a weekend away. The Jack Wills weekend bag has a 200ml Spice Body Wash, 150ml Spice Body Spray, 200ml Musk Body Wash and 150ml Musk Body Spray. This will be presented to him at the end of the day, and will sit under the dinner table when we settle down for Christmas dinner, along with tickets for a weekend away in Porto, Portugal. A weekend bag perfect for its first trip!
What will you be gifting to your loved ones this Christmas?
Until next time…
