Christmas Catalogues
Every year major shops send out Christmas Catalogues, either online, or in your mail box, with the latest hot Christmas gifts.
Sometimes you glance through them, and see something interesting. Then you toss out the catalogue, and forget where you saw it.
For fun, I'm summarising the hot gifts in each of the catalogues I receive between now and Christmas.
Innovations
A lovely thick catalogue in the mail. Always fun to look through.
Lots of decorations, and fun gifts like jewellery trees, cricket wicket stickers for wheelie bins, robt chess board, bike racks, one-touch LP-to-CD recording, compost crocks, buffet warmer, furniture, car dog seats, portable solar panels and heaps of personalised gift options.
Also available online at innovations.com.au
Eckerleys
Always inspiring for craft types.
This is where you go to buy the ingredients to make your own Christmas cards. Stamps, beautiful papers, ribbons, glues, pens, paints - it's fantastic. 23 shops around Australia, but they only have mail order catalogues so far - no online shopping yet.
See the range online at eckersleys.com.au
Harvey Norman
Ah, electricals. The front page is pushing usb drives, kids cameras, mens shavers, laser ebook reader, and an LG Blu-Ray Player. Organised nicely into gift ideas under $29, $49, $69, $89, $199, $299, $499, $799, $999 and over $1000. Lots of accessories for phones, and games, hair care electricals for girls, massage gadgets (for your feet, back and elsewhere). I'm not sure why the Cadbury Hot Chocolate Maker is deemed a "cooking essential" - isn't that what microwaves are for?
Pillow Talk
Not a lot of Christmas stuff here - no fancy table settings. Just a nice simple Christmas tree with lots of fabric folksy decorations. Together Moments.
Shaver Shop
The home page is pushing an electrical share and toothbrush - it's hard to get excited about those, even though I have a Braun toothbrush myself. Kind of like telling you its time to improve the grooming... It's a nice bright catalogue, and inside it expands into the hand/foot spas and massagers with some hair straighteners or crimpers for the ladies, before going back to the mainstay shavers. hmmm.
Sydney Morning Herald Gift Guide # 1 - November 25
Thursday's Essential Style liftout had the first real gift guide of the season, for the SMH.
The categories were: Forward Thinkers, Christmas Beauty, Home Lovers, Toys for the Boys, Career Girls, Domestic Goddesses.
Apparently the Forward Thinking woman should like an expensive handbag, shoes, necklace, bracelet, Swatch, boots, thong and towel, candle or cocktail ring.
For Christmas Beauty: fragrance, body butter, cosmetics, travel kits, crystal compact or shimmer ball.
Home Lovers feeling blue, with a coffee machine, photo frame, digital radio, lantern, vase or teacup and saucer.
Toys for the Boys was amazingly sportive, with a watch, t-shirt, cricket set, cool kombi surf clock, sunnies, scent and cleanser.
Career Girls like their gadgets in pink, with pink passport cover, laptop, phone, hard drive and luggage, veering towards the gray with the speakers and Navman. Very egalitarian.
And Domestic Goddesses should lust for stylish food pod, plunger, citrus reamer, stainless steel teabag or (cough) an ironing board?