Last Minute Shopping

It may feel as though Christmas is little more than a business, when it is supposed to be a time for brightening up the long, dark days of winter with a bit of sparkle and a time for thinking of other people and what you can do for them. Sadly, our lives are in many ways bound to the stake of the financial world. Many people rely on extra work at this time of year but, if consumers aren’t spending, work isn’t there, businesses close and where are we?

While supporting online shopping for ‘green’ reasons, we at Lothian Life also understand that supporting small, local businesses is even more important. These guys don’t have time or money to spend on publicity campaigns so we don’t often get to hear about them. Tell us if you know of a small, local business that should be mentioned here.

I’d like to kick off with two galleries that are interesting in different ways. The Line Gallery on Linlithgow’s High Street is run by Gail Boardman and Elisabet Thórin. They always have work by talented local artists as well as international exhibitors and at this time of year they have a few fun things that you won’t see anywhere else. They don’t have a web site to give you a taster but you can phone 01506 670-268 to check on opening hours. The gallery shows paintings and prints (in the broadest sense of the word) as well as sculptures, glassware, basketry and jewellery.

The Printmakers Gallery in Edinburgh is a fascinating space where artists work and can also sell their work. There is a wide range of prints for sale, each handmade by the artist (not your IKEA poster type prints) and numbered. You can buy a limited edition original print from Edinburgh Printmakers through the OWN ART scheme which offers interest free loans from £100 and up to £2000 . It’s located at the top of Leith Walk in Union Street and it does have a web site.

I enjoy last minute shopping, probably as a reaction to the days when my children would change their minds right at the last minute about what they want. So here are some last minute great deals on the web.

If you are a gadget freak then Halfords have up to 50% off their satnavs – this is just until Monday. There are also half price deals to be found on lots of incar entertainment such as the Airspeed DV720 DVD/CD player, which is retailing at £199.99. Another good deal is the JVCKD-AVX33, which comes with with 3.5″ screen and Bluetooth and is of course Handsfree. This was £499.99 and is now £369.99.

Halfords are also well known for their tools and if you are looking for a practical gift then there is £50 off their 127 piece Tool Set with Aluminium Case. The sale price is now £99.99.

And bikes? If you haven’t ordered already, here’s a great web only offer. The Shockwave XT675 Mens Mountain Bike was £199.99 and is is now just £89.99 (inc. VAT) – that’s a saving of over £100. It has front suspension, a Hi-tensile steel frame, 21 Speed Shimano gears and Front disc brake for high performance braking. As with all Halfords bikes bought online you can take it to any Halfords Store for a free check over once you have assembled it.

For kids toys, Halfords have really branched out. It isn’t just car seats and bikes, you can now purchase quad bikes and scooters as well as a range of garden toys such as dominoes, climbing frames and playhouses.
Standard delivery is within 4 working days and costs £9.99. Order before 17th December for standard Christmas delivery or 20th for next day delivery or choose a delivery time to suit you from £12.99. One of the features I like about Halfords is that they also have a reserve and collect scheme which means you can order online and then collect in person from your local store at a time to suit you and saving on delivery costs. Being able to buy your bike without having to worry about where to hide it until Christmas Eve is quite a relief.

A lot of people like to give liquid gifts and this does offer an easy and acceptable answer for wine lovers, especially when delivery is taken care of. Oddbins own label wines are £45.99 delivered for 12 or £26.99 delivered for 6 and these can be red, white or mixed. Further up the scale, delivery is included in all their 6 and 12 bottle selections. Oddbins also do champagnes starting with the entry level Cava, Condesa Blanca Brut NVat at 5.49 each or 6 for £4.57 each up to the superb Veuve Clicquot NV at £32.99 each or 6 for £27.49 each and at any time will have special offers in various malts and brandies, with an intriguing selection of liqueuers.
A nice feature of this website is that you can send from 1 to 1000 gifts via the website, all on a single payment. To do this just select your products and add them to your shopping basket, click on Send basket to multiple recipients, select an address or add a new one, write your personalised messages and you’re done! This same process applies to not only the gift range, but to anything you wish to send from Oddbins.com. But hurry! Order by Monday 17th for delivery by Christmas.

Here’s a list of our other favourite web sites which are still guaranteeing delivery in time for Christmas:
Monday 17th December
World of Linens – lovely bedroom, bathroom and kitchen furnishings
Wednesday 19th December
Betterware – An always intriguing source of essentials and sensibly priced luxuries.
Dabs.com – Electronic wizardry – everything from cameras to things that go inside your computer. They guarantee delivery by Christmas or a £25 gift voucher.
John Lewis – Reliable name selling just about everything and with free standard delivery at the moment.
The White Company – gorgeous range of (not always white!) furnishings and gifts. Their gift boxed service must be ordered by the 19th but otherwise last order date is 21st.
Thursday 20th December.
Avon – For skincare products and jewellery. They are currently running a 12 days of Christmas Promotion with a new special offer each day. And they are offering Free Next Day Delivery for a limited period.
Whittard of Chelsea – a great range of teas and coffees, including Fair Trade, as well as everything you need to heat, brew and drink them from. Their 3 for 2 offer means that the cheapest of three purchases is free.
Friday 21st December
Crocus – gardening tools and outdoor furniture
Next Day
Eden4Flowers could really be your saviour if you have cut it down to the very last minute. They have a wonderful range of bouquets as you would expect but also hampers of fruit (for the healthy option) muffins and chocolates for the indulgent option.

It’s also worth remembering that most of these companies offer Gift Vouchers which could just let your friends treat themselves to something you might not have thought of.

Lastly, if you are travelling over the holiday period, it is worth booking in advance, both so that you get a seat, and because you can save up to £60, for example, off a single to London, so try the Trainline. The company also sells tickets for European destinations and International rail passes for Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Another benefit is that you can also book discounted hotels to make your own package if required.

Next week, we’ll have news of the sales which will be starting soon but until then, have fun!

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Click here to read our Guide to Internet Shopping