Christmas shopping is the most stressful part of the festive season. Here are some great travel and outdoors Christmas gifts for your wife/girlfriend/sister/cousin/mum/aunty so that you have one less present on your shopping list!
Under R201
Vapur anti-bottle
The Anti-Bottle from Vapur is a funky fold-up reusable water bottle that’s easy to carry and stores away nicely when not in use. At first it might seems like it’s a flimsy contraption, but once filled with water, it’s a sturdy, sexy water bottle. It’s washable and freezable and comes in a range of funky designs. Available at leading outdoor stores. www.terrabrands.co.za. From R99.
Bobble water bottles
The reusable Bobble bottle filters water as you drink.. It’s available at @home, Due South, Makro, Game, Sportmans Warehouse, Outdoor Warehouse and selected Woolworths stores. www.waterbobble.com. R99.95 at Outdoor Warehouse.
Headphonies
Headphonies are funky, fun, affordable, portable three-inch designer speakers that plug into your smartphone, iPod, pad or tablet, handheld game console, MP3 or CD player. Available at Musica stores in various designs. R199,95
Imazine strap watches
Brighten up her sporty arms with a funky Imazine strap watch that’s water resistant and made of health grade silicon with Tourmaline and Germanium. Available at Due South www.duesouth.co.za. R199.
K-Way Overlflow Travel Bag
This bag is a lifesaver when travelling or even overnighting. If you’re on holiday, it folds away as a tiny pouch and when your load starts getting bigger, simply open your 60-litre overflow bag and fill it up. Available at Cape Union Mart www.capeunionmart.co.za. R199.
Crocs Kids’ Baya Shoes
For the little girls, this lightweight, comfortable, all-purpose (wet and dry) shoes are the perfect gift for summer. Available at Cape Union Mart www.capeunionmart.co.za. R199 or at the Crocs stores countrywide. www.mycrocs.co.za.
Travel journal
Give her a journal for her to record her trips, jot information and keep random messages and pictures while travelling. A journal can be any book, but a leather bound antique-looking version could be cool. Available at stationery and gift stores. From R30.
Earth Lovers Shower Gels
Keep clean and keep green with The Body Shop Earth Lovers range. It’s biodegradable body wash in yummy flavours like fig and rosemary, cucumber and mint and there’s even a fragrance free version. www.bodyshop.co.za. R75 each.
Garden Flower Gardening Bag
If she’s got green fingers, Woolworths has a fun two-toned bag that serves the dual function of holding your plant utensils and storing all the pamper products for clean up afterwards. www.woolworths.co.za. R199.
Kikoy
A kikoy is a woven rectangular garment that can be used as a sarong, scarf, wrap and even beach mat. The original branded Kikoy is available at www.kikoy.com, but you can find Kikoy-style wraps and sarongs and many retailers. Outdoor Warehouse has one for R119,95.
More than R201
Cool summer fragrances
These are some fragrances for her, that are suitable for summer:
Cool Water by Davidoff from R325 on www.takealot.com
Tommy Girl by Tommy from R260 at Clicks
DKNY BE Delicious Fresh Blossom from R399 at Clicks
Pretty by Elizabeth Arden from R295 at Edgars, www.edgars.co.za
Happy by Clinique, from R360 at Edgars, www.edgars.co.za
Summer Romance by Ralph Lauren, R830 on www.eterniti.co.za
The Benefit Crescent Row Mini Fragrances Gift Set from Woolworths is a good option for someone who’s always on the go. The bottles are small and you’ll have a set of four to choose from, depending on your mood. R385.
Le Creuset
It may not seem like a great idea to buy a woman a pot, but no female’s going to turn down a cast iron Le Creuset, available in a wide range of bright colours, pastels and neutrals. They don’t come cheap, but a Le Creuset is for life. www.lecreuset.co.za
Diana Mini 35mm Camera
Create fun effects and retro photos with the Diana Mini 35mm lomography camera. It’s the compact (and cheaper) version of the Diana F+ camera and comes in fun and funky colours. Available at Orms www.ormsdirect.co.za. R650. See the Lomography Action Sampler 35mm camera at Orms as well (R400)
Slimsuit
It’s hard to get a bathing costume for ladies and you won’t know if they’ll suit her. Slimsuit has a range of flattering and slimming costumes that will make anyone look gorgeous on the beach. www.slimsuit.co.za
Cape Union Sapphire Cowl Sleeping Bag
Sleeping bags don’t come cheap, and it’s hard to find an affordable, decent one that doesn’t look drab. Cape Union Mart has a three-season sleeping bag (available in blue, grey and orange) that’s suitable for camping and hiking and the cowl neck provides extra comfort and warmth around your neck. www.capeunionmart.co.za. R325.
Havaianas
Havaianas rubber sandals are colourful, stylish and perfect for summer days. No trip to the beach will be complete without a pair of these non-slip, easy to clean, uber comfortable slops. The official Havaianas store is at the V&A Waterfront (021-425-2521) but they’re available at most surf and beach shops. www.havaianas.com. Various prices.
A chocolate hamper
If she loves chocolate, there’s no way she won’t love a hat box hamper filled with lots of chocolate and delivered to her door. Available at www.kalahari.com. R378 including delivery.
Spa treatment
Spoil that special lady with a bit of pampering with a spa voucher from HealthSpas.co.za , where she’ll be able to choose from over 300 spas and different packages to suit her. www.healthspas.co.za.
Sun Jar
A Sun Jar is a solar powered lamp that lights up beautifully and will turn any outdoor dinner into a bright affair –and you won’t waste electricity. Available at www.mantality.co.za (ironically site with gifts for guys). R350.
Picnic cooler
The large four-person Picnic Sources cooler is ideal for your picnic in the park, or beach and it keeps your food and drinks fresh and cool while storing your crockery and cutlery safely out of the way. Available at Outdoor Warehouse www.outdoorwarehouse.co.za. R599,95.
Amazon Kindle
A kindle is a handy, compact e-reader for anyone who loves reading – especially when travelling. You don’t need to cart around all your books – simply load your desired reading material onto your Kindle and start reading on the plane, in the car and even on the beach. www.kindsouthafrica.com. From R884.
iPad
If you’re feeling really generous, spoil her with the new iPad 2, the latest craze in tablet computers. They’re avaible at iStores and leading electronic and computer stores. You could pay anything from R5500 up.
Celestial Gifts
Give her the gift of experience with Celestial Gift Experiences’ range of activities from formula one racing, romantic dinners, outdoor adventures, flights, surf lessons, cooking lessons and loads more.. www.celestialgifts.co.za. Various prices.
Subscription to Getaway
The most obvious choice we’d recommend is a subscription to Getaway. If you subscribe before 31 December 2011, you’ll get a Getaway 2012 calendar as a gift (while stocks last) and you could win a Land Rover – all this for R288 (12 issues).
If she’s already a subscriber, you could still renew it for another year (R249). Tel 0860-100-205, email [email protected], www.magsathome.co.za.
Quote the code 11/12/SP/GTA to take advantage of this offer.
