Month: November 2013

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Christmas Countdown Checklist: December – Week 1

This week…

17. Stock up on booze – beer, wine, bubbles, whatever your beverage choice is for the silly season.

18. Decorate your tree

19. Stocktake your tableware, including: glassware, crockery, cutlery, linen, etc. Mr Gift has some beautiful ice buckets and decanters to help you entertain in style.


Image from Freshome.com

20. Finish posting cards to friends and family in Australia

Read our Christmas Checklist for other weeks here…

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Christmas Countdown Checklist: November – Week 4

This week…

1. Locate and unpack artificial tree and check all ornaments are in good condition.

2. Purchase additional ornaments if necessary.


Image from www.freefever.com

3. Finalise any hair and beauty requirements/appointments to ensure you look your best for upcoming Christmas parties.

4. Check pantry and purchase crackers, chips and other nibbles that will last until Christmas (you will also be prepared if visitors ‘drop in’).

Read our Christmas Checklist for other weeks here…

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20% OFF STORE-WIDE SALE: Your gift shopping for men starts and finishes here!

The benefits of believing in Santa…

…as well as gift solutions for ALL the men you need to buy for this Christmas

Whilst going through a box of childhood treasures the other day, I came across a piece of evidence supporting the age-old childhood debate that Santa isn’t real. It was my old Santa notebook, that I left out with the beer and cookies (for Santa), as well as a carrot (for the reindeer) each year.

Every Christmas, Santa would faithfully leave me a little note (along with an empty beer glass, cookie crumbs and a carrot stalk) saying he hoped I enjoyed my presents and that I had a good Christmas. One Christmas, I realised that Santa had the same handwriting as my dad. Naïvely, I thought to myself, “Wow, Santa really is a cool guy – he’s even got the same handwriting as my dad!” Fortunately, this didn’t give the game away and I still believe in Santa 😉

Believing in Santa definitely works in my favour when it comes to the amount of presents I receive each year…although I think my husband might be onto me…

Anyway, I challenge you to believe in Santa this Christmas (even if you didn’t last year). Just write that Wish List, stick it on the fridge (or post it to the North Pole) and see what happens.

Here are a few ideas to add to your list (or someone else’s) while you’re at it, along with a helpful 20% discount…

SPECIAL OFFER: 20% off STORE-WIDE

To redeem your discount, simply enter Coupon Code SANTA in the Coupon Code field when you place your order.

This offer is valid from Sunday 17/11/13 until 7pm Weds 20/11/13 and can’t be used in conjunction with other offers, or redeemed for cash. But please feel free to forward this offer onto your family and friends:)

“Gadget Guy” gifts

What’s new:

  • Fed up of the last-minute Christmas rush every year? Christmas doesn’t need to be a hassle, and it’s not too late to get organized. Check out our week-by-week Christmas Countdown Checklist to help keep you on track. This is one list that’s worth making, and checking twice!
  • Keep up to date with what’s happening at Mr Gift by visiting our Blog or the New Products page on our website.

Don’t forget, we also offer FREE GIFT WRAPPING for all orders. Just type GIFT WRAP in the Comments box when you order.
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Christmas Countdown Checklist: November, week 2

This week…

1. Get online shopping done and dusted (don’t forget to visit www.mrgift.com.au on your online travels). 

2. Are you staying at home for Christmas? If so, now is the time to check you’re ready to host a crowd. Check entertaining/outdoor areas i.e. outdoor lights are working and outdoor furniture is clean and not broken. The same rule applies to indoor furniture – check that your table is big enough and there are enough chairs – there’s nothing worse than a last-minute scramble to rustle up extra chairs.

3. Now is the time to stock up on wrapping paper, cards and gift tags. Shop around and look out for specials on these items.

http://www.sixthings.com.au/Shop/Doublesidedxmaswrappingpaper.aspx
 


4. Finalise Christmas card list.

5. Visitors staying over the Christmas period? This week check that you have enough bedding for them and set up your guest room so that it’s ready to go. 

Read our Christmas Checklist for other weeks here…

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BRANDS OF THE WEEK: Kinuya and YMMN

Need a new wallet? 

New Japanese leather brands now in stock…

If your wallet is looking a bit tired i.e. dog-eared and missing a few stitches, then it’s definitely time to treat yourself. We’ve got some beautiful new wallets from two amazing brands we discovered on our recent buying trip in Japan: Kinuya AWA AI Japan Blue Leather and YMMN.

SPECIAL INTRO OFFER: Receive a 10% discount on any Kinuya AWA AI Japan Blue Leather or YMMN product purchased this week.
To redeem your discount, simply enter Coupon Code JAPAN in the Coupon Code field when you place your order.
Offer ends 5pm Sunday 10/11/2013 and can’t be used with any other offer or redeemed for cash. Please feel free to forward this offer onto your family and friends.

Kinuya AWA AI Japan Blue Leather

Traditionally, the dying and finishing processes used for textiles and leather use a  lot of chemicals. Many companies are now rethinking their processes and moving towards more sustainable practices. One such company is Japanese brand, Kinuya, who are renowned for their AWA AI premium leather goods. Kinuya’s point of difference is their dying process. They use the leaves from the indigo plant (indigofera polygonum) to produce a natural dye. This natural indigo dyeing method know as “Ai-zome” has been used in Japan since the 5th century. The ‘Ai-zome’ technique results in a clear, deep colour, known as ‘Japan Blue’. The Kinuya range consists of a unique collection of leather goods dyed ‘Japan Blue’, using this traditional, environmentally conscious method.

YMMN

YMMN is a family-run manufacturer of  leather goods established in 1948 by Mr Yamada Haruhiko. Today the company is owned and run by Mr Yamada’s son. The family have an established reputation as high-quality leather manufacturers in Japan’s leather goods industry. All of YMMN’s products are made in Japan by skilled craftsmen at their factory located in Tokyo. It takes the craftsmen approximately 3 hours to complete a men’s wallet.

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Favourite Recipes: Italian Sausage Spaghetti Sauce

This is a great recipe for disguising veggies from children! Tanya Bartolini says, “I process the vegetables until they are so fine, my son won’t notice them – but he gets their goodness anyway”.

Tanya also recommends adding a teaspoon of fennel seeds and/or a pinch of chilli, which “will boost the flavour of the sauce. If cooking for kids, I recommend adding a little fennel (but only if the sausages don’t already have the herb in them) but no chilli”.

This recipe provides enough sauce for a 250g packet of dried pasta or 5 serves of homemade pasta.



Ingredients 

Serves 5

  • 6 Italian sausages
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stick celery
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 x 400 g tins diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup white wine (not sweet)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil


Special cooking utensil – food processor (if you do not have a food processor, a grater will work just fine)

Method:

1. Using a small knife, remove casings from the sausages and set aside.

2. Peel the garlic and onion. Chop celery, carrot and onion into pieces, small enough to fit into your food processor. Whiz them in the food processor for about 30 seconds until you have fine pulp.  

3. Fry up the pulped vegetables in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as the mixture cooks through.

4. Whilst the vegetable mixture is cooking, use the food processor to blitz the sausage meat until it clumps together in a ball. Add to the frying pan and cook with the vegetables for about 5 minutes.

5. Reduce heat to low and add the wine. Cook for about 1 minute. 

6. Add tinned tomato and tomato paste. Cook through for another 5 minutes. 

7. Whilst the sauce is simmering, put your pot of pasta water on to boil. Allow the sauce to simmer for as long as it takes to cook the pasta (about 20 minutes). Any type of pasta works well with this sauce.

About Tanya Bartolini: Although Tanya Bartolini spent 14 years in accounting and finance, true satisfaction was always found in the kitchen. It wasn’t until the birth of her first son in 2012 that she realised what had seemed important before was no longer a priority and with that, Tanya decided to embrace her passion for food and family. In doing this, she has explored her family’s rich Italian history and written a book that shares her family’s precious recipes. Through her book, Blending The Cultures, featuring hearty recipes that blend the Italian and Australian way of living and eating, she hopes to encourage others to create memorable moments for themselves by cooking and sharing meals together. Tanya has also established a website – The Kitchen Bench – as a forum for everyday cooks just like herself to share wholesome, simple and healthy cooking.

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Christmas Countdown Checklist: November, week 1

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is now less than 2 months away!

It seems like such a long journey from now until Christmas Day, especially when you think about all the shopping, cooking and house preparations that need to be made before then. If you’re fed up of the last-minute Christmas rush every year, don’t despair – it’s not too late to get organized. We’ve created a series of short week-by-week lists with key jobs to do before the big day. We hope this helps make Christmas a little easier this year:)

This week…
 
1. Who do you need to buy Christmas presents for? Write a list and start shopping for gifts online. www.mrgift.com.au has all your men’s gifts covered – including the men that are hard to buy for!
 
2. Don’t promise yourself “you’ll get around to it” anymore. Bite the bullet and book a cleaner to spring-clean the house (after all, Spring’s nearly over!)

 
3. Are you going away for Christmas? Is your pet going with you? If not, start making holiday arrangements for your pets now – most boarding kennels book up quickly.
 
4. You know you’ve got a month of unhealthy eating in front of you, so focus on eating healthily and exercising this month. Maybe even do a detox – you won’t feel so bad when it all goes out the window next month!

Read our Christmas Checklist for other weeks here…