Our Giving Gifts News Blog

 
 

This blog has gift ideas, news, and special offers. 

 

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  1.  Into the Blue list a wide range of gift experiences around the country, catering for all sorts of budgets.  And they cover a wide range of gifts and interests, with everything from flight simulators to water sports, days out to afternoon teas, short breaks to animal experiences.  They also have an incredible range of creative and craft gifts and outdoor gifts to choose from too. 

    And they've got a special offer for you!

    SPECIAL OFFER

    Use the code 
    ITBSAVE15 and get 15% off  gift voucher purchases up to £250.00 - there's no minimum spend, and some products are excluded, but this code is valid to midnight on Sunday 28th July 2024.  Go browsing at Into the Blue here.

     

    Sniff out a great gift experience at Into the Blue!

    You could give a dog lover
    a Sheepdog experience in Yorkshire!

    How about a Swinton Estate Lunch & Garden Tour?
    How about a Swinton Estate Lunch & Garden Tour (Ripon, Yorkshire)?
    Enjoy talks, garden walks & lunch at Swinton Park
    See other Gardening Workshops and Floristry courses here

    There are a number of Rural Craft experiences including this Traditional Basket Weaving Course in Surrey
    There are a number of Rural Craft experiences
    including this Traditional Basket Weaving Course in Surrey

     Fly off to see the Falconry experiences
    Fly off to see the Falconry experiences -
    give them the chance to meet, handle and fly a bird of prey!

    Fly off to Into the Blue to see their full range of experiences!  And don't forget the special offer!    ITBSAVE15 gives you 15% off until midnight on 28th July 2024, T&Cs apply.   

     

  2.  

    If you know someone who loves Afternoon Tea and Big Cats, you could give them a really delightful experience at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, near Ashford!

    There's a Paul Hollywood Afternoon Tea for Two there.   Starting at 12 noon, you'll be welcomed to the The Big Cat Sanctuary’s conservatory restaurant which overlooks the Asiatic Lion enclosure.

    The Afternoon Tea has been designed by Paul Hollywood, and you'll tuck into a selection of finger sandwiches, homemade cakes and scones with clotted cream and jam - delicious!

    How about a Paul Hollywood Afternoon Tea at The Big Cat Sanctuary for Two?

    After Afternoon Tea, you can take a leisurely stroll  to see the diverse array of majestic big and small cats that call the Sanctuary their home.   There are lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, leopards, snow leopards and pumas.  The Sanctuary is a participant in the International Breeding Programme, and it's got a number of breeding pairs. 

    The experience includes admission to 2:30pm, so you can spend time relaxing and watching the lions from the Restaurant, and then wander round the sanctuary at your leisure. 


    Take a Paul Hollywood Afternoon Tea at the Big Cat Sanctuary

    Visit Virgin Experience Days to find out more

  3. The 20th July 2019 is an important anniversary for a very special event.  It's the 20th anniversary of the Moon Landing when Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin walked on the moon.

    And did you know that there President Ronald Reagen created a Space Exploration Day (also called National Moon Day) to commemorate the incredible first crewed man on the moon and moon landing.  

    When their space craft touched down, Armstrong said "Houston, Tranquility Base here.  The Eagle has landed."

    And 20 minutes later on 20th July 1969 at 10:56pm, Amstrong opened the hatch of the landing craft and got out to walk on the moon.  "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" are words that surely go down in history as some of the most famous in the world.

    Aldrin joined him shortly afterwards, and together they explored the surface of the moon, taking photos and collecting samples. 

    They left an American flag behind, a patch to honour the fallen Apollo 1 crew and a plaque on one of Eagle's legs, which read: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind."

    Space Exploration Day and World Moon Day is an opportunity to encourage young people to consider - and perhaps follow - careers in space (UK).  Take a look at NASA's website here 

    And here are some space related gift ideas!

    For 2025, how about a Lunar Calendar from the Calendar Club?  

    Take a peep at the Lunar Calendar for 2025
    The Lunar Calendar 2025 has stunning photography and
    glow-in-the-dark depictions of the daily phases of the moon.
    £12.99 from the Calendar Club

     There's also this Space Calendar 2025
    There's also this Space Calendar 2025 
    with wonderful photos of the universe and far-away galaxies for £10.99

    or this Space Calendar 2025
    shows off the stars and planets in the sky
    for £10.99
    This Space Calendar 205 shows off the stars and planets

     This is Moon:An Illustrated History : From Ancient Myths to the Colonies of Tomorrow
    This is Moon:An Illustrated History : From Ancient Myths to the Colonies of Tomorrow
    It is a richly illustrated volume presents 100 milestones in lunar history.
    Find out more from Hive.co.uk


    What about a Name a Star Gift!

    How about a Name a Star gift?
    How about a Name a Star gift for £20.00?
    The gift box includes a welcome letter, an explanation of the gift, how to register,
    unique information about the star and how to locate the star. 
    There's also a 'Stars and Astronomy' booklet, a presentation certificate and a personalisation pen. 
    After registration, you receive a certificate displaying your chosen star name.
    Find out more from Into the Blue!

    or you could Buy a Piece of the Moon

    Buy a piece of the moon - own an acre!
    Possess a piece of this history as well as over 4000 square metres of genuine solid land. You’ll receive a lunar site map to indicate where your land is located; lunar deeds; and a declaration of ownership!
    For £26.00 from Virgin Experience Days


    BuyaGift have a  
    Brecon Beacons Observatory Group Stargazing Experience for Two with Dark Sky Wales.

    Enjoy a stargazing experience in Wales!

    View the night sky from the first International Dark Sky Reserve 
    and learn from Dark Sky Wales astronomers.
    £49.99 (and you can get a 10% discount with our code AHW2024BAG
    until 31 December 2024; some products are excluded.)
    Get your telescope out to find out more here


    How about an Astronaut Experience for Two
    at Space Store, Oxford, Oxfordshire?
    Find out more from Virgin Experience Days
    This includes a hands-on interactive space experience:
    go on a spacewalk and experience a Rocket Launch with Virtual Reality,
    find out how astronauts eat and live in space, 
    try on a replica Tim Peake Sokol Space Suit
    and more!  Blast off to find out all about it here.

     BuyaGift have an Eat Like an Astronaut Online Experience for Six!
    You'll need a laptop, smartphone or tablet for this, 
    and it's a chance to learn about how and what astronauts eat in space!
    Have a go at an Eat Like an Astronaut Online Experience for Six!
    Interact with a 45 minute space event - pre-recorded, and ready for you
    to do from the comfort of home!
    It's for £64.99 from BuyaGift (please note the need to know before you buy)
    You can get 10% off with our discount code AHW2024BAG
    before 31 Dec 2024 - some products are excluded

     

    Make Your Own Solar System Planetarium

    Make Your Own Solar System Planetarium!
    This is available through the Natural History Museum for £16.00.
    It's suitable for all ages 8+ and it makes 
    one 30cm model.
    Snap the spheres together, paint your planets with glow in the dark paint
    and watch them orbit the Sun!
     

    For a card or a card/gift, Cardology can help with an Original Stormtrooper Helmet Pop Up Card
    for £10.00
    This is Cardology's Original Stormtrooper Helmet Card
    This officially licensed Original Stormtrooper Helmet Pop Up Card can be used as a birthday card, father’s day gift, mother’s day card or for any occasion.   Take a look here.


     

     

  4.  

    The 22st July is National Hammock Day!  It’s a day dedicated to relaxing and just lounging about in a hammock – to enjoy being in the outdoors, maybe enjoy a good book, listen to the birds around you as they chirp away, and watch any clouds as they float by.

    Hammocks go right back to the Mayan civilisation, so over 1,000 – they were great for giving people the chance to sleep off the ground, and later on, sea crossings by explorers not only discovered lands previously unknown, but they also discovered people using hammocks. And the sailors fast found that the hammock saved space on board ship – and were pretty stable in bad weather.  And an added bonus was that you could take them down in the day very easily and put them away somewhere until you next needed them.

    Now, of course most people will associate the hammock with a relaxing afternoon somewhere, meant for you.  Amazon has lots of hammocks to choose from, if you’re looking for a gift for someone, and you can give them lots of relaxing times in the garden – and they can take the hammock down after use, too.  You can just imagine having a quiet time to yourself, when everyone else is out, swinging gently in your hammock, really escaping from everything.

    Someone else loves hammocks, too!

    A hammock gives these rescue bears some privacy - a bear necessity
    Give a rescue bear some privacy with a hammock!
    Image ©Free the Bears

    Bears love them!  And if you’re looking for a gift for someone who loves relaxation and bears, how about treating rescue bears to a hammock gift?

    Free the Bears rescue bears being held captive in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, and they care for them beary carefully in their sanctuaries.   Many of these bears have been through a terrible time, held in tiny cages with little room to move and be a bear.  They have had awful diets, their teeth may be in a bad state and they may have difficulty moving because of being in enclosed spaces for so long. 

    Free the Bears have now rescued over 1,000 bears and the bears receive the best of care – veterinary help, a good diet, water and a space to roam and be a bear. 

    Normally, Free the Bears say that the bears are normally solitary but because of space restrictions, they share enclosures.  Enter a  hammock, to give these beautiful bears some privacy – a bear necessity! 

    And not only that, the hammocks for the bears are made by volunteers!  Your donation covers the cost of the materials needed for the bears’ hammock, and the volunteers make them up!

    You can dedicate this gift to a loved one & email them an e-card with a personal message.  The e-card has gorgeous pictures of the bears.   This is a really meaningful gift to help bears who have been through a very difficult time.  

    There are other gifts for the bears too, starting at £8.00.

    Find out more here.

     

  5.  

    For anyone who loves the Jellycat range of toys, they've got some new Amuseables in available from the world famous toy store Hamleys.

    They are quite different and could be a decoration for someone who loves plants and nature.  They're kind of fun too and very creative.


    Take a look here!

    Not only that, but you can also get either 5% off or 10% off their other orders at Hamleys when they use the two current codes. Check out the code details below:

    NEW10 - 10% off over £40 - this ends on 30 September 2024 and it excludes gaming and selected LEGO sets. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other code 

    CART5 - 5% Off Toys - this excludes gaming and selected LEGO sets. And it can't be used in conjunction with any other code.  It also ends on 30th September 2024

    Visit Hamleys here