Grow Your Own Flowers this Summer!

Here at Smart Gift Solutions, we have the perfect gift to suit a variety of occasions over the Summer Season - the fantastic 'Grow Me' kit from Gift Republic, which we previously mentioned in our National Gardening Week post! Designed to let you plant your very own beautiful flowers, it's a brilliant way to involve yourself in your outside surroundings... 

Accompanied with detailed instructions, 1 packet of seeds, 1 coconut husk starter plant pot, a plant marker and 1 coconut husk compost disc - this kit has everything necessary for you to create your own flower. Designed with bright and colourful packaging, and priced at £3.99 it is a great affordable gift too!

We sell a range of 4 'Grow Me' kits, including the popular 'Be Happy - Grow Me Sunflowers' kit, featured to the left. It is perfect for many occasions such as a simplistic, but meaningful pick-me-up or Wedding Anniversaries, to wish the happy couple longevity and prosperousness in their marriage! We also sell the 'Get Well Soon - Grow Me Camomile', which is a great way to show you really care; it is a thoughtful, and fail proof gift (unless they don't like Camomile!). 

For romantic occasions, such as showing your partner you appreciate them, we also sell 'Say It With Flowers - Grow Me Roses'. It's ideal for Valentine's Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries; and if you want to include it as part of a bigger gift for special occasions, you can Create-Your-Own Hamper!

The last of our collection is 'Good Luck - Grow Me Clover', which is a brilliant gift to give to family, friends and colleagues. Does somebody you know have exams this summer, or a driving test to pass soon? Well, with this Grow Me kit, they'll feel like the luckiest person in the world with the ability to grow their own clover!

If you want to, you can check out our other fabulous Gardening Gifts!

What Cheese Goes With What Wine?

This weekend is London's Cheese and Wine Festival,  held in The Southbank Centre Square in London, and catered to those who want to discover more about the many delicious pairings that can be created with the many varieties of Cheese and Wine... You will be able to experience tasting events, and view Cooking shows from London's finest chefs! So, here at Smart Gift Solutions, we thought it perfect timing to give you a few tips on the best pairings!

Okay... there are no strict rules to finding perfect wine and cheese combinations because choosing wine and choosing cheese when it really comes down to it is a matter of your personal preference and taste.  So the particularly fantastic thing about Cheese and Wine is there are no official rights or wrongs. However, there are of course 'Classic' Cheese and Wine pairings that never fail to disappoint, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Goats Cheese or Brie and Champagne, which suits perfectly due to the creamy texture of the cheese with the acidity of the drink.

White wines match best with soft cheeses with stronger flavours  - red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors - fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses.  Bascially the more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be. Use this as a guideline when pairing at home or at a dinner party! 

And of course there is also the famously delicious Port and Stilton pairing which we sell here at Smart Gift Solutions, in the Cheese and Wine Gift Box featured to the right, for an affordably priced £30.85. Unlike White Wines, Red Wines tend to match better with harder cheese and milder flavours, which is why this combination is so perfect!

Here's a list of well known popular cheeses and suggestions for complementary wines -

Gloucester Cheese pair with  Pinot Noir or Zinfandel

Gruyère Cheese pair with a Sauvignon Blanc or an Australian Shiraz...Champagne especially vintage or Blanc is also highly recommended

Red Leicester Cheese pair with  a quality Rioja or a full and rich Australian Shiraz

Stilton Cheese pair with sweet wines Port being the favoured choice of many or a dessert wine or full bodied robust red wine

Wensleydale Cheese pair with a sweeter wine  such as a Muscat from Australia or also recommended is a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Parmesan Cheese pair with  – try with a Spanish Cava, an Amarone or a Super Tuscan wine

Goats Cheese pair with (there are so many different types of goat cheeses) a good Rhone Red or a Sauvignon Blanc or an an Italian Trebbiano

Feta Cheese pair with a full dry wine such as an Alsace Riesling or a red Beaujolias.. Retsina too, for a true Greek experience

Cheddar Cheese pair with a Sauvignon Blanc for a white or a good claret, Rhone, or Rhone styled wine from California or Australia... Zinfandel wine is great too. An Argentinian Bonarda makes a tasty, affordable alternative

So there you are, just a few tips and ideas when you are pairing cheese and wine for your cheese board :o)
Let us know via Facebook, Twitter or in the comment box below what pairings you prefer, we would be interested to know whether you break tradition with your tastes!

Why is Cheese and Wine the Best Gift?

At Smart Gift Solutions, we have a splendid range of affordable Cheese and Wine Hampers, which make the perfect gift choice for absolutely any occasion including a Birthday celebration, Get Well Soon, Thank You and New Home to name but a few! But what is it exactly that makes the delicious combination of Cheese and Wine, which is one of our best sellers, the perfect gift?

 A cheese and wine hamper is a timeless and classic gift that not many people can resist, delicious cheeses combined with a good quality red or white wine, add in some savoury biscuits and pate and it provides the simple pleasures of life that most of us enjoy... to simply relax and indulge ourselves for a little while. 

It's the perfect gift for your Dad's birthday or your Granddad's birthday.  It's a popular gift for Mother's Day and Father's Day.  It's the best selling gift at Christmas time.  It's the gift choice for businesses sending a corporate thank you.  It's quite often sent to new mums!  It's a great way to say you've gone without without for so long now treat yourself to a nice glass of wine and some good wholesome food. 


We offer nine different cheese and wine hampers, the most popular being the  Wine Cheese and Pate  hamper.  As well as being delicious, Cheese and Wine Gifts can suit any occasion, making it a trusted choice of gift when in doubt. Our delectable Cheese, Wine and Chocolates Gift Box is perfect for a family member, colleague or friend's birthday as it is both affordable and beautifully presented!

All our cheese and wine hampers are packed with ice packs and delivered within a 24 hour period.  The parcel is labelled to advise the recipient to refrigerate the contents on receipt so that they will be aware the parcel contains food. 

We'd love to hear from you so let us know if you agree or what you think is the perfect gift to give. 

Weekly Promotions...

Here at Smart Gift Solutions, we will be running some weekly promotions soon, where you will have the chance to win some brilliant free gifts to brighten up your day - so prepare yourselves for either 'Freebie Friday', 'Muffin Monday' or perhaps 'Chocolate Tuesday'... 


All you have to do to participate in this new competition is upload a photo  to our Facebook page! It can be on any topic you fancy - as long as it makes us laugh and cheers everybody up from England's gloomy April Showers! ... 


So gather the funniest photos you can find, and prepare to post them on our Facebook Wall when the competition is announced! 

Thank You to Our International Customers!

Here at Smart Gift Solutions, we would like to say a huge THANK YOU today to our wonderful International Customers from all over the world!  We continuously receive a large number of orders from Spain, France, Canada, Ireland, Australia and the United States of America amongst many other International locations since our website was first launched way back in 2000. It's always a pleasure to be able to accommodate your needs, despite you being from different parts of the globe!

All our staff here at Smart Gift Solutions understand the importance of serving our International gift giving customers with a quick and efficient delivery. We understand the importance of overcoming time distances. We hope that we can assure you that we understand the importance of getting it right every time with every gift purchase you make!

There are a few restrictions on sending some items such as flowers, alchohol to some parts of the world and fresh produce such as salmon or stilton cheese, a small number of items in a vast and comprehensive gift range for anyone and any occasion.

We would also like to say a big Thank You to our blog readers from around the world - we appreciate your interest in our gift advice, and hope that we can provide you with the information you need! If you have any suggestions as to what we could add to our ever growing blog, do not hesitate to comment below or via Facebook and Twitter! What gift advice are you eager to receive?

OUR COMPETITION WINNER!

Here is the winning entry of our latest Facebook competition 'QUEEN FOR A DAY!', which was submitted to Smart Gift Solutions by Emma Walters! 

If  I could present a gift to Queen Elizabeth II, it would be... "The magic wardrobe from the narnia story so she could disappear into her own magical world without anyone knowing, that & keep all her fabulous outfits in!".

The response we received to the competition was fantastic, and it was difficult deciding between the hundreds of fabulous suggestions that we received! There were other brilliant suggestions too, that we can't help but include - so here are our Top Ten entries for you to read below...

1. Charlotte Jones: 

If I were to give the Queen a present, 

Smart Gift Solutions I'd visit.

A create-your-own-hamper,

For her majesty to feast on and pamper,

Full of fabulous treats and content!

A treat for the corgis in the shape of a teddy, 

Some baby gifts for Kate&Wills (no harm in being ready!)

Candles and bubbles for a relaxing bath

And a "First Class Stamp" mug for a bit of a laugh!

2. Rachel Blackburn:

I'd give her her very own pimped up mobility scooter, the MajMobile. It's red, white and blue of course complete with 18 inch chrome rims, union jack flags, a custom corgi-basket on the front and a horn which plays God Save the Queen!

3. Mcj ESmith:

The Queen is a lover of horse-racing but I believe that her life-long dream is for one of her horses to win the Epsom Derby. Even a Queen can't get everything that she wants! So as the nearest alternative I would present her with a personalised copy of OK magazine with the mock cover showing her horse, Carlton House, winning last year's Derby, instead of coming third. I'm sure that would make her day.

4. Rachel Medhurst:

I would give her a collage of all the pictures of the past kings and queens since the first rulers started. X

5. Nikki Kay Reynolds:

I would make her a photo album with 1 photo for each year of her life in with a photo of herself and a photo of something memorable that happened each year in the UK so she could remember all the amazing events that she has lived through

6. Sarah Foran:

I would give her a gift of a flight into space, giving her a view of rhw world that only a chosen few have ever seen, I think after spending her life doing a job she had no choice in doing to the best if her ability she deserves something amazing x

7. Sue Hunt:

A remote control with a special 'Mute' button for Prince Philip :o)

8. Andrew Petrie: 

If it were possible , a long and happy retirement.

9. Jayne Kohli:

A discrete mini solar powered fan to clip onto her hats to make those walkabouts in hot weather that little bit more comfortable.

10. Julia Mealing:

A false hand because hers must get tired with all that hand shaking and waving.

Don't forget to visit our Facebook page regularly for our competitions and weekly free give-aways! 

It's the Queen's 'real' birthday today, she was born on April 21st 1926...

Just as a bit of fun We're giving away 'The Royal Treatment' luxury food and wine hamper... all you have to do is like us on Facebook and suggest what gift you would present to the Queen!  If 10 or more suggestions are received before Monday 23rd one of you lucky devils, whoever we think has the best suggestion, will receive the hamper!

The Queen has two birthdays (probably everyone's dream!) her real birthday and her public birthday held in a day during the summer in the month of June when nicer, warmer weather is to be expected.

Her real birthday will be marked publicly by gun salutes in central London at noon with a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park together with a 21 gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London. She then usually spends her actual birthday celebrating  privately.

On her official birthday held on a Saturday in June the Queen is joined by other members of the Royal Family at the spectacular Trooping the Colour parade which moves between Buckingham Palace, The Mall and Horseguards’ Parade. 

National Gardening Week!

This week is National Gardening Week, which is brought to you by the Royal Horticultural Society to encourage the nation to celebrate everything about gardens and gardening... and to get involved in growing! For fantastic events that you can get involved with over the coming weekend, visit the National Gardening Week website - discover which extraordinary sites you can visit! 

However... despite being called the National Gardening Week - the basis behind the idea is to get the UK involved in gardening all year round, so why don't you check out our Gardening Gifts section to find out what gifts you can buy for yourself, or friends and family to garden all year long!

A particular favourite from our Gardening gifts, is this brilliant Grow It Sunflowers kit for an affordable £12.95. You can now grow your own beautiful Sunflowers over the summer to brighten up your garden! Included inside are several types of Sunflower seeds, starter growing pots, coconut husk compost discs, markers and a Sunflower growing booklet. It's the perfect starter kit to get you involved in gardening! Also featured on our website is a Grow It Herb kit and Grow It Wild Flowers kit, if you fancying experimenting with even more...

Be sure to let us know how you got involved in National Gardening Week - did you visit any wonderful places?

Top 5 Gifts for a Female Taurus...

Are you into your Star Signs? Because we certainly are, and as you may already know, on the 21st of April we will move into the next astrological sign - Taurus, associated with The Bull! This month, we've collected together 5 fantastic presents that you can chose from, to buy a female loved one on their birthday this month... it's bound to suit their star sign perfectly! So if you're stuck with ideas, you need to look no further...
 

Bath Blaster - Dark Heart (£1.99)

A female Taurean can be both physical and sensual, so pampering gifts are ensured to go down a treat. This gorgeous bath blaster, bought to you by Bomb Cosmetics, includes Blackcurrant seed oil and Shea Butter swirl to moisturise the skin - it is the perfect way to make her feel luxurious! The beautiful design, which includes a pink soap heart, will be appreciated by her too - because a Taurus is a "lover of beautiful things"!

Weary Gardener's Luxury Gift Set (£31.49)

Taurean's are associated with earthy pursuits, such as gardening and landscaping - however, they won't enjoy the feeling of sore hands or tired muscles... So, this wonderful Gardener's gift set is the perfect way to restore them after a hard day in the garden - filled with handy gardening supplies to ensure your Taurus is moisturised and rejuvenated! For more brilliant gifts, visit our Gardening section...

Rose and Freesia Flowers (£21.75)

The typical Taurus loves deep blues, violets and pastels such as lavender and mauve - so why not treat a Taurean on their birthday to these beautifully arranged Rose and Freesia flowers, which incorporate the star sign's colour theme. The flowers ooze harmony and peace, and will create a wonderful environment for the Taurus on their birthday! You can visit our Flower section at Smart Gift Solutions, if you know a Taurus with a personal favourite...

The Royal Treatment Hamper (£56.20)

Taurean's love to live in the lap of luxury, so a food hamper with delicious and comforting food, such as chocolates, cakes and wine will appeal. This Royal Treatment Hamper, is the ultimate luxurious gift - filled to the brim with wonderful gifts in a traditional Wicker basket.

Pocket Posh - Easy Sudoku (£5.99)

This gorgeously designed Pocket Posh book, filled with Sudoku puzzles, incorporates both the intelligence and the stylishness of a Taurean, and will go down a treat. For more fabulous designs, check out this link - where you can find more Pocket Posh books, with other puzzles. 

Have fun choosing gifts this month for your Taurus friends, colleagues and family members, and be sure to let us know what you'll be buying them via our Facebook, Twitter and in the comment box below! 

Follow us on Bloglovin'!

If you haven't heard of Bloglovin' already, it is a fantastic website which allows you to keep track of the blogs you read, and receive updates of new posts you may find interesting... It's a great way to stay connected!

You can now follow our blog via Bloglovin', by clicking the button featured at the top of this post - or on the right side information bar! This will allow you to receive live updates of newly posted articles about exciting gifts or competitions at Smart Gift Solutions. Sign up now - which you can easily do here - and follow us, and any other blogs you read.

Thank you!

Brand New Spaceform Gifts!

Here at Smart Gift Solutions, our collection of Spaceform gifts has recently expanded and we now have over 70 exquisite contemporary glassware designs to choose from! Our range of new products, which include paperweights, tokens and photoframes, allow you to express meaningful thoughts for all occasions... head over to our exclusive section to check it out!

Perfect Grandma Gifts are included, in particular this delightful new Spaceform paperweight 'I Love My Grandma'  featured to the left. With a beautiful tree design, filled with flowers, hearts and butterflies and engraved with "I love my grandma"- it is the perfect way for a grandchild to show their appreciation for their beloved Grandma - and priced at just £28.00, it's the perfect gift! 

We also have a miniature 'I Love My Grandma' and 'I Love My Nan' glass token, priced at £10.00, which is the perfect birthday or Christmas gift!

There are now a selection of Anniversary gifts to choose from, including this miniature 'Anniversary Multi Heart' stylish mirror photoframe! Designed with scattered white hearts, and inscribed with 'anniversary', it is the perfect keepsake for £25.00 to give to your partner on your special day. 

Other wonderful anniversary gifts now featured are a delightful miniature glass token, inscribed with 'Happy Ever After', or a simplistic yet meaningful miniature glass token inscribed with 'Happy Anniversary' and two heart shaped balloons!

If you're looking for the perfect way to show your appreciation for a special friend in your life, look no further as we have recently added this gorgeous 'Best Friends' photoframe to Smart Gift Solutions! Priced at £15.00, and simplistically designed with the colourfully inscribed words 'best friends', its a fantastic way to show your best friend how much they mean to you!

We have also added the 'Friend Like You' miniature glass token designed with delightful daisies, and inscribed with 'Lucky to have a friend like you!' - which is a meaningful way to show you care - perfect for all occasions!

Our brand new 'Great Mum' and 'Great Dad' text tokens are the perfect Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts, priced at £12.00 each. Designed with two heart symbols, and inscribed with the title text, they are a fantastic way to show your appreciation. They can even be given as a present, for any occasion, just as a simple reminder of your love!

Another perfect gift for Father's Day, is a starburst 'Dad You're A Star' medium sized paperweight, which is filled with tiny blue and white stars, the perfect stationary accesory for your Dad to keep on his desk at work!

Also included in our fantastic new range is Motivational and Celebratory gifts - such as Thank You!, Good Luck! and You're A Star! tokens, all perfect for friends, family or colleagues. Featured to the left is the particularly wonderful 'Proud of You' miniature token!

Be sure to check out the whole range, as you won't be short of ideas for all occasions!

Food Hampers

Looking for the perfect gift? How about our luxury gift hamper "The Royal Treatment"... We at Smart Gift Solutions specialise in hampers for all occasions.  The Royal Treatment food hamper is just one example of what makes the perfect gift... We've an incredible range of hampers, we're not stingy with the expensive truffles... you won't be sending a box full of shredded tissues.. because we know that the best things come in large packages.  Send a gift hamper so that they'll receive surprise after surprise... not just one gift but many.

You'll find a gift to suit every taste with one of our hampers from pamper hampers, to gardening hampers, golf hampers to birthday hampers, get well hampers, thank you hampers, wedding hampers and more.  Click here to view the full range of our hampers. 

Gifts for Women... what gifts will you buy her?

Now you've found us we're sure you'll find he perfect gift for her!

We've gifts for women whether you're buying gifts for your girlfriend, your mum, your wife or a work colleague we have just the right gift selection at the right price for you.

Browse our full range of gifts for women now.

If you're looking for an extra special gift for her we have a gorgeous selection of personalised gifts for women. Selection from champagne flutes, teapots, handbag accessories and more!  We always say that food gifts are the best gifts to give, we have a selection food hampers designed especially for women so if you are buying a gift for mum, we have the Great British Afternoon Tea gift selection or an Afternoon Tea and Cake Gift Basket.  With a range of gardening gifts for women, pampering gifts for women, jewellery, stationery and more you're guaranteed to find the right gift at the right price right here!

Old Fashioned Sweets Never Fail to Please!

Retro Sweets Gifts

Good old fashioned retro sweets are by far our most popular gifts to send!  We have so many sweet gifts to choose from you truly are spoilt for choice when you shop for gifts at Smart Gift Solutions!

We have sweet hampers, in traditional baskets, take a look at our retro sweets bumper hamper or novelty containers, take a look at our 'Big Love' retro sweets gift.  

We have retro sweets or old fashioned traditional sweets in the ever popular Emma Bridgewater keepsake tins.  

For a special birthday occasion we have sweets in cellophane bags with a themed birthday label with matching birthday balloons.   We also have themed sweet gifts for get well soon, anniversary and congratulations.

And, for the extra special gift at very low cost we have personalised sweet jars which can include your recipient's name and a short message.