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Has it really been 12 months already? 

It only seems like yesterday since taking down and packing away those decorations and what an undertaking - all that glitter!  Having spent a lifetime getting those rogue pieces of the stuff out of the furniture and carpets of our homes, we do it all again!  Would we have it any other way though?  Of course not!  Bring on the glitter, it’s Christmas!!

Regardless of whether you like a cosy look in your home, or prefer a more minimalist décor, this is the one time of year you can just let your hair down, go completely crazy and deck your halls - knowing nobody will judge you for it.  Forget about sensible, it’s all about sparkle and at Christmas more is definitely more!

Being “Gifters”, it’s a given that this will likely be the most busiest time of the year for us – and being reasonably new, we’re hoping we’ll be busy helping you for years to come too.  In the build up to the big day, a lot time and energy is spent on not only trying to find the perfect gifts for our loved-ones, it’s all about the elegance (and let’s face it, skill) of the wrapping too.  Wouldn’t it be good if there was a service to not only find the perfect gift, but to wrap it AND send it, too….?  Now, that would be one less thing to stress about!

Wrapping those gifts is something we’re really, really good at!  With gift boxes available for various recipients and budgets, we’re sure you’ll find something for that hard-to-buy person you’re looking for.  Now the presents are sorted, it’s time to think about the big day itself….

As adults, sometimes Christmas can lose its magic.  As adults, when the kids have gone to bed, Christmas Eve, traditionally, is all about polishing off those mince pies (left for Santa) and drinking the cheeky tipple he was supposed to drink on his way out.  Left-over Rudolf’s carrot, we’re guessing isn’t particularly appealing to the cats and dogs though!  Nothing too exciting for adults and animals, then.

With the introduction of the Christmas Eve Box in recent years, an extra leg of excitement awaits the little ones – not only do they leave a gift for Santa on Christmas Eve, they have one too!  It’s a win, win situation for the kids.

But, what about the grown-ups?  Where’s their magic on Christmas Eve?  Is there a gift box tailor-made for adults?

Fear not!  Christmas Eve boxes aren’t all about the kids!  Not anymore.  Why not give the gift of that Christmas Eve magic to a grown-up loved one in your life – including yourself!  In that last-minute dash round the house, getting all those final preparations done for the big day, how nice would it be to light a candle, put your feet up and chill out with a comforting snack?  Your wish is our command!

"'Twas the Night Before...", containing hot chocolate, gourmet marshmallows… with a twist, and a beautiful festive candle, we think will make your Christmas Eve “Merry & Bright”.  Why not mix it up a bit and add a tipple of your favourite spirit or liquor to that hot chocolate?  The perfect night in box, we'd say!

And the big day itself?  Check out some of our exciting gift boxes targeted to that favourite late-night Christmas Day tipple.  You sort the eating and drinking and we’ll sort the Merry bit - now that’s a win, win situation for the grown-ups!

Winter Warmer – Locked Down over Christmas and New Year?

Winter is a strange time.  Hundreds of years ago, it was something to be feared and prepared to battle against.  Ice storms, rain, dark days and freezing temperatures meant that crops couldn’t grow, and livestock couldn’t eat, so it was a dangerous time for communities across the world.  The constant changing of the seasons meant that there was, at least, a consistency for our ancestors, and they knew that, to quote the Starks, “winter was coming”, and they could attempt and do something to up their odds against the cruel season.

There were the pragmatic solutions of storing grain and food in the summer to last through the latter half of the year, but there were also the mystical, or supernatural answers to their wintry woes.  Rituals and ceremonies were enacted on certain days of the year, at certain locations, in an attempt to appease the Gods and lessen the effects of a harsh season.  Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England, is probably the most famous location in the UK where these customs were practised, spanning across tens of thousands of years.

Nowadays, we don’t need to attend a ritual at Stonehenge in order to ensure safety through the winter months (unless, of course, you want to; many still flock to Stonehenge for important dates throughout the year).  Our insulated homes, our heating and electric, even down to our big winter coats and woolly hats, mean that we are protected against the cold that autumn and winter brings.  Some would even say that winter was their favourite month, and in fairness, I can’t blame them!  Mulled wine, winter walks through the countryside, dark nights with a hot chocolate or a Sunday roast in an English pub while the weather rages outside, really allows for a sense of hygge.

Hygge (pronounced hyoo-guh) is a sort of buzzword at the moment, and I can see why.  The word is Danish in origin and doesn’t really have a direct translation into English.  Putting it into Google Translate gives you the word ‘fun’, but most argue that the closest word is ‘cosiness’.  The Danish would argue that it goes further than that, though; that it describes a sense of wellness and contentment in the simple things, especially when you feel safe and secure within yourself and those around you. 

Winter is a wonderful time to practise hygge.  The nights get longer, the weather turns colder, and so many of us feel an urge to nest.  With self-care being so important at the moment, why not practise a little hygge yourself this season?  Grab a scented candle, snuggle up with a heat wrap, and get your head into a book with a mug of tea and some biscuits.  Or grab the kids and dive under a blanket to watch a film. Ooh box has a great selection of gift boxes, including the Movie Night Box and several pamper box gifts.

Our 21^st century world doesn’t afford us many opportunities to ‘switch off’, but if there’s ever a time to take a moment for yourself, you’ll be sure to find it in the depths of winter.

Advent – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas

We all start to think about Christmas earlier in the year...at least, we do, anyway!  It seems that, as soon as the Halloween decorations have left our shops, the fake snow and baubles are placed next to the greeting cards, with Cliff Richard crooning over our heads.  Whether it’s spreading the cost of the holiday season, or the worry of catching the looming postal deadline, the constant reminder of ‘Holidays are coming’ rings out earlier and earlier in the final quarter of the year.  One real marker that ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ has begun, though, has to be Advent.

The word advent stems from the Latin ‘coming’, and dates back to as early as 567, when monks were ordered to fast during December in the lead up to Christmas.  The anticipation of this particularly important day in the lives of these early Christians was celebrated throughout the month, in a way that showed their reverence to Christ.  Our modern day traditions are a little more indulgent, however!

The origins of our modern day advent calendar first became popular just over a hundred years ago in Germany.  This time, the tradition comes from the expectation of Kris Kringle leaving presents under the Tannenbaum, and we here in England commissioned our version first in 1956, although at this stage, without the chocolate.  Instead, Advent calendars showed a festive image behind each window, sometimes religious, and sometimes a more seasonal image, like a robin or a sprig of holly.  Someone in the 21st century can look on those first calendars, almost half a century ago, and practically hear Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ wafting over the wintry, crisp air, with an overwhelming Christmassy nostalgia.  The chocolate advent calendars didn’t really get popular in the UK until the 1980’s, but have remained a steadfast addition on the mantelpieces of children (and, let’s face it, grown-ups children) ever since.

Christmas, at least to us here at ooh, has always had that tinge of nostalgia that really makes this time of year so special to so many.  We’ve had forty years in this country of the modern advent calendar, and since then three generations have grown up with the bubbling excitement for the run up to Christmas.  Lists for Father Christmas, visiting Santa’s Grotto, posting letters to loved ones and choosing gifts for family has been such a staple for so many, and as these children grow up the excitement of Noel shifts, but never really goes away.  Just like those monks who first celebrated advent, the exhilaration that comes with waiting for Christmas is just as important as the day itself.

Advent, on a more practical side of the season, highlights a more organisational time of year.  After all, it’s beginning to look a lot like admin!  Hauling the Christmas decorations down from the loft often brings about a deep clean of the house, and the bulk buying of Christmas cards means reaching out the old phone book.  Here at ooh, we believe that the joy of giving gifts is the best thing about Christmas.  The glow of giving, as some have described it as, has actually been proven to release a powerful hit of dopamine in the brain, and, as is usually the case, the anticipation of your loved one receiving your gift only increases that warm, fuzzy feeling.

It’s been a long year, and Christmas means so much to so many people, and in so many ways.  As the nights grow longer and the days get darker, it’s now more important than ever to let loved ones know that you care, whether it’s by letter, by FaceTime, by a well thought out gift, or perhaps even their own advent calendar to count down the days.

So, as we welcome the season and the end of year, we here at ooh wish you a safe, healthy and happy Christmas.  Why not take a look at our shop for gift box ideas and check out our selection of beautiful boxes to send as gifts this Christmas.

5 Gold Rings

‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, a song that first appeared in print all the way back in the 1780s, refers to the twelve days following Christmas Day, so ending on the 5^th January.  For those of you who enjoy the festive season, it’s an excellent and historical excuse to stretch out your carol singing for another fortnight.  For those of you who aren’t into Christmas, well…

The song first popped up in history in 1780, with the melody not being introduced until the 20^th Century by Frederic Austin.  A song hailing from Scotland, known as ‘the Yule Song’, is strikingly similar, except it details the many gifts the King sent to his love.  The Smithsonian did an estimate of the total price of all of these gifts, and you would certainly fare better as a king; the estimated the total of all of these luxurious items is £23,000!  Most of us aren’t spending anywhere near that amount every yuletide, although sometimes it can feel like it! 

Christmas has always been a time of giving and receiving, with the majority of retailers making the majority of their profits in the last few months of the year.  The pressure of buying the perfect gift for someone can be a lot to deal with, but sometimes the simplest words are the truest: it’s the thought that counts.

Christmas is right up there with Valentine’s Day as one of the most romantic holidays of the year.  Every Christmas morning, social media is flooded with the ‘I said yes’ posts, with a beautifully manicured hand and a dazzling engagement ring perched on the finger.  Gift giving is one of the most wonderful ways of showing your loved ones that you are thinking of them, and Christmas can be a wonderful time to show your love and commitment in the truest sense.  Even though winter is the least popular time to get married, and that’s mainly down to our British weather, let’s face it, our summer weather is hardly predictable. At least around Christmas you know that it going to be cold and can really make the most of it.  Imagine a winter wedding, it’s so Romantic, and a great time to tie the knot for a number of reasons. 

1. Your guests are more likely to be able to come as there aren’t lots of other weddings happening right now. 
2. The venues are cheaper and often offer discounts
3. The bride won’t be melting in her finery. 
4. The venue will already be decorated for Christmas.
5. Stunning photo opportunities

Even if your heart is set on a summer wedding, what about a winter engagement? Arrange a photo session so you can share the news in pictures.  Cosy chunky jumpers, snowy scenery, cuddles to keep warm, the opportunities are endless. 

For those of us that are already with our chosen life partners we can still embrace the season.  As ‘the twelve days of Christmas’ shows us, knowing that someone is thinking of you is, simply, one of the greatest gifts of all.

Check out our shop to discover a wealth of romantic just for you gift boxes.