Top Ten Gifts for Beer and Wine Enthusiasts

We all know one, in fact there’s usually at least one (or even two) in every family. Yep – a beer and/or wine enthusiast. They’re usually their most active at this time of year when the weather is at its warmest, hanging out in pub beer gardens or on balconies and patios with glass or stubbie in hand. And if you need to buy one of these guys a gift this year, we’ve got you covered with our list of Top Ten Gifts to buy a Beer and/or Wine Enthusiast…

Ok, so you’ve probably heard about the benefits of decanting and aerating wine. Basically, decanting opens the wine up, releasing its aromas and resulting in a smoother, more mellow drink (read more about decanting here). If you want a quick and easy way of decanting that doesn’t involve getting out the old decanter, check out the Nuance Wine Finer. It’s hands down the quickest and easiest way of decanting. Once you’ve tried it you’ll never drink another bottle of wine again without it.
 
 

Do you always finish a bottle of wine? No, really? Think about how many bottles of wine you’ve thrown out because you haven’t finished them and they’ve gone bad. If you’re reluctant to open a good bottle or a bottle mid-week for fear of not finishing it, check out the Longitude Wine Preserve.

 

How many times have you bought some delicious European beers and then spend ages scrabbling around in that second kitchen draw trying to find your bottle opener? If you never want to lose your bottle opener again, get one that you’re proud to keep on display. The Nuance Bottle Opener is as effective to use as it is pleasing to look at.
 

Don’t risk getting done for Drink Driving. Monitor your blood alcohol level with this handy breath tester key ring. It even detects 0.02% BAC, so you can gauge how close you are to 0.05%.
 
 
 

Everyone needs a personal hip flask and this one’s a cracker. One side reads: “Booze Pour Homme” and the other reads “Pub in my pocket”. Great size that will fit in most pockets. Love it!
 
 


How hard is it to find decent port glasses these days?! Try something different and give these traditional port sippers a go. Port sippers enhance the flavour of your port or fortified wine and this design has been around since the 1700s.

 

The emergency is when the glass is empty. 

 

8. Moleskine Beer Journal $39.95

Keep a record of your wonderful beer adventures*

*Disclaimer: If you’re capable of writing at the time or can remember anything the next morning.

 

This cool glass looks like the neck of a beer bottle that has been turned upside down. The silicon lid also acts as a coaster to protect your table tops.

 

 

Never let that bottle get away again. Keep a record of the wines you try and enjoy (as well as the ones you don’t) so you can buy more (or never drink them again). See Disclaimer for Beer Journal.
 

SPECIAL OFFER: Receive FREE DELIVERY on all Mr Gift orders placed before 5pm Thurs 31/1/2013. Simply enter Coupon Code 2013 when you checkout.  


My Top Gift Tips – Yvonne from Bags of Charm, Sydney

Founder of Bags of Charm, Yvonne says that Lindor Chocolates are always a winning gift. Yvonne also shares some of her other gift tips with us below…

 

1. The best gift I ever received was… a trip to Gold Coast’s Broadbeach. Sunshine, fresh air & endless beach. What can you ask for more!

2. The top gift on my wish list is…don’t have one, I think I’ve got everything I want at the moment:)

3. The best gift I have ever given was…a high performance road bike for my husband. He’s riding it to work every day. So proud of him!

4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for was/is… my sister! There’s nothing she likes better than a nice meal. But she lives in Japan. It’s hard for me to buy her dinner from Sydney:)

5. The best last-minute gift is…Myer Gift vouchers.

6. My hot gift buying tip is…Buy Lindor Chocolate for your friends! Hardly anyone can resist a bite of Lindor.

A selection of stunning designer handbags from Bags of Charm
 

Yvonne is the owner of www.bagsofcharm.com.au, an online handbag retailer offering authentic pre-owned luxury designer handbags and accessories at fantastic value.

BRAND OF THE WEEK: The Bright Side

You know you’re onto some great products when you’re looking at a product range and find yourself laughing out loud. This was our reaction when we first saw The Bright Side range. The luggage strap, ‘Did Someone Say Upgrade’ was the deal-sealer for us introducing this brand to the Mr Gift product mix.

Quite possibly the funniest luggage strap around from The Bright Side’s genius designer, Rachel Bright
 
The Bright Side products are the creation of Rachel Bright; printmaker, illustrator and writer. Working as a designer and illustrator in the UK for the last 10 years, Rachel has an extensive creative background, having worked for companies such as Smythson of Bond St, Usborne Publishing, ThirtyThree and Richmond County Council. Rachel has also done commission illustration work for Bristol Design Guild and Charnwood. Two children’s books have also featured amongst Rachel’s latest projects. We love the humour and quirky style Rachel brings to The Bright Side range. 

 
 
 
 The Bright Side’s iconic ‘Man Tins’, from $19.95
The Bright Side specialises in unusual, yet useful products: from homewares such as Man Tins, coffee cups and the hilarious Emergency Man Fuel beer glass to the We’ve Got a Bleeder sticking plasters for little bumps and accidents and the Man Lists notebook – there’s something that every man would find useful (and a bit funny too!).
 
The perfect glass for your next ‘beer emergency’
 
 




This plaster (band-aid) kit will make you sore from laughing – a unique, useful and funny gift 

For a gift that will put a smile on your recipient’s face, you can’t go past The Bright Side. 

SPECIAL OFFER: Receive FREE DELIVERY on all Mr Gift orders placed before 5pm Thurs 31/1/2013. Simply enter Coupon Code 2013 when you checkout.

Top 10 Gift Bargains + FREE DELIVERY offer

Mr Gift

What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2013?

Mr Gift has all of your gifts for guys covered this year, and you don’t even have to leave the house!

My New Year’s resolution last year was to get better at keep in touch with friends. FAIL.
Ok, so I did have a couple of excuses: a new addition to our family, a new business, moving house…you get the picture. Looking back now though, I suspect the error of my ways was that I didn’t plan how I was going to keep in touch with people. Phone? Email? When and how often? So this year I’m going to try again, but with a better strategy in place. My goal is to email or call a different friend every two weeks. And I’m going to block out time in my diary to do it. In our professional or personal lives, goal setting is a good way of getting things done – taking that big, scary job and breaking it up into smaller, more manageable bits. Whatever your dreams and goals are for 2013, we hope you achieve them all with a little bit of thought and planning.

If one of your goals is to get more organised this year, why not start with your gift buying for family and friends. Check out our below top ten specials and grab a gift or two at a great price…

SPECIAL OFFER: Receive FREE DELIVERY on all Mr Gift orders placed before 5pm Thurs 31/1/2013. Simply enter Coupon Code 2013 when you checkout.

This offer can’t be used in conjunction with other offers, but feel free to pass this Coupon Code onto your family and friends.

1. Joseph Joseph Gadgets Gift Set NOW $40 (was $49.95)

The perfect wedding, engagement and housewarming gift or gift for guys who love their kitchen gadgets.

2. Mapkins (serviettes), London design NOW $5 (were $8.95)

This pack of 20 napkins is a great party conversation starter. Find places you have been to, or would like to visit on these maps of London, New York and Paris.

3. Cubic Timer, Orange
NOW $35 (was $49.95)

Timing things has never been so much fun with this handy little cube timer. Each side of the cube times for 3, 10, 30 or 60 mins.

4. Leitmotiv Z Lamp NOW $55 (was $69.95)

This stylish lamp is a great gift for the home or office. The simple, streamlined design of the Z lamp will suit the décor of most homes, whilst serving as a useful gift.

Check out our other home and office gift ideas…

5. Camo Army Toilet Bag
NOW $15 (was $21.95)

A smart toilet bag always makes a great gift. This light-weight PVC coated case is simple, stylish and easy to keep clean.

6. Bamboo Fiber Travel Mug
NOW $15 (was $24.95)

This high-quality travel mug incorporates the solid feel of a ceramic mug with the light-weight durability of bamboo – an essential for your daily cuppa.

7. Ceramic Measuring Jug, 1 litre NOW $15 (was $19.95)

They just don’t make measuring jugs like these ones anymore. This ceramic jug feels sturdy – just like a vintage jug you’d find in your Grandma’s kitchen cupboard.

Also available in 250ml and 500ml sizes.

8. Paper Pot Press NOW $20 (was $24.95)

The Paper Pot Press offers an alternative way of recycling your old newspapers by turning them into biodegradable paper pots.

Check out our other garden gift ideas

9. The Essential Tool Kit
NOW $25 (was $34.95)

This handy tool kit has a great selection of tools suitable for many DIY jobs and repairs around the home and office. Also a great kit to keep in the car glove box or the camping box.

10. Oak Bootjack NOW $25 (was $32.95)

If you work outdoors, there’s probably been a few occasions where you’ve struggled to remove your dirty work boots. Struggle no more with the help of this simple yet effective oak bootjack.

Check out our other SALE ITEMS for more bargains.

We have lots of new brands and products on the way, so keep checking our New Products section for more gift inspiration throughout the year.

We wish you a fantastic 2013 and hope the year ahead is full of rewarding experiences and happy times.

My Top Gift Tips – Pauline Leonard, VIC

Not many people would know where to start when it came to organising a dinner for 50, but Melbourne chef Pauline Leonard takes it all in her stride. Pauline shares her Top Gift Tips with us this week:

1. The best gift I ever received was…some fresh truffles, dug that day.

2. The top gift on my wish list is…a house in Tuscany!

3. The best gift I have ever given was…a dinner party I catered for a friend’s surprise 50th for 50 of her friends.

4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for is…my darling husband. He has me, what more does he need?

5. The best last-minute gift is…a bottle of something special, be it wine, sauce or oil.






6. My hot gift buying tip is…buy gifts as you see things throughout the year, don’t wait until a week before the person’s birthday. Failing that – get them a gift voucher to one of my cooking classes – young old, men, women, kids – they all love cooking in my classes.

Learning to cook is an invaluable, life-long skill
Check out Pauline’s cooking classes at Queen Vic Markets, Melbourne

Pauline Leonard is a Melbourne chef who runs cooking classes at Queen Victoria Markets, weekend gourmet food tours to the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, Saturday tasting tours in the picturesque town of Healesville in the Yarra Valley, and 10 day gourmet food and wine tours to Italy! For more information, check out www.tastecooktravel.com

Who wants to be out Christmas shopping when you could be at the pub?

Mr Gift

Top 12 Men’s Christmas Gifts

Mr Gift has gifts for every guy – avoid the Christmas rush this year and shop from the comfort of your home

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a traditional Christmas carol that many would be familiar with (especially at this time of the year with Christmas carols playing everywhere you go!).

The Twelve Days of Christmas is actually thought to be a very old carol, originating in the late 1700s in England, or possibly even France. There are several theories behind the meaning of the song, with one of the more popular theories being that the carol was actually a memory game sung before the Twelfth Night (the eve of 5 January) which marked the end of the festive season. Whilst we may never be sure of the exact meaning of the quirky lyrics to this old favourite carol, we’ve drawn some inspiration from the song to create our own 12 days of Christmas for men.
Check out the below Mr Gift top 12 gift suggestions for 12 different types of men.

SPECIAL OFFER: To thank you for your support throughout the year, we would like to offer you a 20% Friends and Family discount, valid until 5pm Sunday 16/12/12. To redeem your discount:
1. Login or create a Mr Gift account
2. Simply enter Coupon Code F&F when you checkout.

This offer can’t be used in conjunction with other offers, but feel free to pass this Coupon Code onto your family and friends.

12 Busy Businessmen

Cockpit Clock and Weather Station $49.95
Keep your desk tidy with this unique desk box that includes:

  • Thermometer
  • Hygrometer
  • 2 clocks for different time zones

View more business, office and stationery gifts…

11 Chefs Cooking

Joseph Joseph Elevate Knives Carousel Set $149.95

This set of 6 high quality knives come beautifully packaged in their own rotating knife block.

View more gifts for chefs and the kitchen…

10 Gardeners Gardening

Pro Gardener Tool Belt $34.95
Keep all of your gardening gadgets and tools at your fingertips with this handy tool belt.

View more gardening gifts…

9 Gadget Guys

Weather Station $49.95
This smart weather station features:

  • Thermometer
  • Hygrometer
  • A wired sensor to measure indoor and outdoor temp and humidity
  • An alarm with snooze function

View more gadget gifts…

8 Metro Men

Beauty Mate Big Boy Gift Pack $59.95
The ultimate Beauty Mate Gift pack that includes all our favourite products:

  • 1 x Shampoo 200ml
  • 1 x Conditioner 200ml
  • 1 x Moisturiser 100ml
  • 1 x Shave Gel 100ml
  • 1 x Face Wash 100ml
  • 1 x Form 100g or Shape 100g

View more grooming gift ideas…

7 Travellers Travelling

Würkin Stiffs RFID Passport Wallet, black/green $99.95
Würkin’s high-tech passport holders will keep your personal information safe by protecting the data on your passport chip using RFID technology.

View more men’s accessories…

6 Homeboys Chillin’

Large Belvedere Glasses (pair) $29.95
These cool glasses have been repurposed from Belvedere Vodka bottles and make a great gift for the person with everything.

View more gifts for the home…

5 Fitness Fanatics

Moleskine Wellness Journal $39.95
Monitor your exercise regime and diet whilst setting motivating goals with this comprehensive and versatile Wellness Journal.

View more Moleskine journals…

4 Beer-lovers Belching

Fred Thirsty Hopped Up Beer Glass $14.95 each or 2 for $25
A quirky beer glass that beer-enthusiasts will love!

View more Wine, Beer and Coffee gifts…

3 Caffeine Addicts craving coffee

KeepCup Reusable Coffee Cup $14.95 each or 2 for $25
Enhance your coffee drinking experience with these stylish reusable cups.

View the KeepCup range…

2 Winos whining

Nuance Wine Finer II: The 4-in-1 Wine Aerator
The quickest and easiest way to aerate any wine.

View more Wine, Beer and Coffee gifts…

…and a BBQ Chef burning the snags!

MAN LAW Digital BBQ Tongs $29.95
Don’t burn your snags (or any other meat) with these handy BBQ tongs that will prevent you from over or under-cooking your meat.

View more BBQ accessories…

There are still lots of new products arriving for Christmas, so keep checking our New Products section if you need some more gift inspiration or last minute gifts.

We’ve also had lots of fun blogging – check out the Mr Gift Blog for our latest Top Gift Tips, recipes such as the best chocolate chip cookies (in the world!) and new brands including MAN LAW BBQ accessories, Wurkin Stiffs men’s accessories and iconic German pen brand, e+m.

We hope we can help you get on top of some of your Christmas shopping so you can enjoy the festivities this December.

My Top Gift Tips – Kerrie Meehan, VIC

From a life as a travel agent to running a philanthropic Fair Trade shop, Fairly Cambodian, Kerrie Meehan shares her gift experiences including a Cambodian water blessing and gift buying for a Buddhist friend…

1. The best gift I ever received was…a water blessing from a monk in Cambodia.

2. The top gift on my wish list is…a donation from a mystery individual so I could set up a school in Cambodia.


3. The best gift I have ever given were some pens, magazines and toiletries to a sewing school in Cambodia.




4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for is…a Buddhist friend. She doesn’t attach any significance to material goods.

5. The best last-minute gift is…something fair-trade, so your gift is helping the individual who made it.





6. My hot gift buying tip is…make your purchase count otherwise it is money wasted. Buy something from a fair trade outlet so that your gift gives twice, once to the recipient and once to the person who made it.


Kerrie Meehan runs Fairly Cambodian, a fair trade retail store in Healesville in Victoria’s Yarra Valley – an enterprise that sells beautiful hand crafted goods made by Cambodians. Kerrie was a travel agent who travelled the world for her job. It was only when she visited Cambodia that she was struck by the country’s tragic history, beautiful people and uphill struggle to rebuild what the Khmer Rouge destroyed. She is determined to improve the lives of the Cambodians she knows, by selling their goods on their behalf, spreading their news, telling their stories, and ultimately giving their children an education and therefore a future. You can buy from Fairly Cambodian from anywhere in Australia via her online shop, www.fairlycambodian.com/shop and sign up to the Fairly Cambodian Facebook Page.  

My Top Gift Tips – Dom Romeo

What gift is at the top of a writer’s wish list? Freelance writer Dom Romeo shares his gift stories on softball bats and ex-girlfriends…

1.The best gift I ever received was…
An Bisonte notebook – gorgeous bison leather cover that slips over the notebook, so that when it’s filled, I can just replace it. As a writer, I like to carry around a pen and notebook at all times.


2. The top gift on my wish list is…
Boxing gloves and focus pads – the writer’s life is predominantly sedentary; I need more exercise.


3. The best gift I have ever given was…
A softball bat, for a dear friend’s 40th. I’d known him since we were kids, and I’d accidentally knocked him out with one when we were playing softball in primary school – a story he still tells when introducing me to new friends.


4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for was/is…
Always ex-girlfriends. You know them well enough to get it perfect – but if and when you do, you make it difficult for the poor guy who’s replaced you – which can also be fun!


5. The best last-minute gift is…
Creative and contains handmade elements – either the card (with a poem) or the hamper you’ve put together with delicious teas, yummy imported sweets and delicacies, or the home cooked meal you serve before presenting them.


6. My hot gift buying tip is…
Shop with them some time before the event – you get an idea of what they like, how they like to spoil themselves, and what they are eyeing off until they can better afford for themselves. And then you can surprise them with it!


Dom Romeo is a freelance wordsmith, blogger and broadcaster. Read his stuff: www.standanddeliver.blogs.com

My Top Gift Tips – Kay Trembath, VIC

This week we caught up with Kay Trembath from Crumbz in Victoria’s gorgeous Healesville and decided that home-made treats are always the best option when it comes to gifts…

1. The best gift I ever received was…my engagement ring from my now husband.
2. The top gift on my wish list is…an e-type Jag.
3. The best gift I have ever given was…some pens, magazines and toiletries to a sewing school in Cambodia.
4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for is…my Dad. Men are so hard to buy for, especially ones who already have everything they need.
5. The best last-minute gift is…something home-made – a scarf you’ve knitted, some jam or chutney, hummus or some flowers from the garden.
6. My hot gift buying tip is…make it yourself. The time and love that has gone into making the present makes it priceless for the recipient.

A selection of Christmas decorations from Crumbz Christmas decoration workshop

Kay is the owner of Crumbz, a fabulous craft shop in Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. Crumbz is packed full of gorgeous designer aprons, fashionable fabrics and wool, kitchenware and house hold gift items. Some of their gorgeous products include washing up gloves with a leopard print trim, kids’ chef hats, china tea cups and polka dot cupcake cases. You can also buy all your haberdashery: wool, yarn, patterns, fabrics – whatever your sewing/craft needs. Kay also runs a series of classes and workshops on sewing, patchwork, crochet, knitting and stitching that help people learn about and enjoy crafts from yesteryear. Check out the Crumbz website to check out their products and classes: www.crumbz.com.au

Want a $20 Mr Gift voucher? We would love to hear about your gift giving and receiving experiences – just email your answers to the above questions to info@mrgift.com.au to receive a voucher on us!

Top three men’s grooming tips

So the jury’s back in and gentlemen, the general consensus is that there’s no excuse for hair in the wrong places when it comes to men’s grooming. We sought advice from our customers and friends for their top tips on how men can look their best and here are some of our favourite tips…

1. Nose hair is a no-no
Author and professional speaker Jennifer Burrows implores men to maintain their ‘manscape’ with a regular trim of stray hairs. “Gentlemen, please invest in a good quality nose and ear hair trimmer – preferably one that comes with an eyebrow shaping attachment. Bushy is not sexy and nose hair tickles during kissing”.

Trimming those stray hairs is an essential grooming task advises Jennifer Burrows, contributing author of You Can…Live the Life of your Dreams.

After 20 years in business, Sue Ismiel from Australian wax brand Nad’s is an authority on waxing and hair removal, affirming, “Nose hair is such a turn off for women”. After identifying that out-of-control nose hair was a problem for many men, Nad’s developed Nose Wax to target nose hair on the inside of the nose, as well as blackheads on the outside of the nose. “I am so excited about having found a simple way to get rid of unsightly nose hair and in the process have rekindled people’s passion for their partners now that their nose hair is gone!” says Sue.

Remove hair from the inside of the nose as well as blackheads on the outside with Nad’s Nose Wax

2. Exercise caution when removing hair
“Always use a clipper guard when trimming your public area with hair clippers,” advises author of The Vagina Buffet, Tales of a Brazilian waxer, SJ Tierney. Tierney explains: “I was trying to get my husband’s pubic hair as short as possible, so I took the clipper guard off and I accidentally cut his scrotum – it was one of those “not happy Jan” moments”. Ouch!

Tierney also suggests carefully considering where you practice your hair removal. “Never drink and groom, and never allow wax, razors or tweezers at your bucks party!” and don’t forget to consider other members of the household, “If you want to groom in private, remember to keep the door locked”.

“If you want to groom in private, remember to keep the door locked,” advises author SJ Tierney

3. Tweezers are your friend, not foe
Andy Roache from Andy Hair and Makeup, Mooloolaba believes that all guys should have a pair of tweezers in their bathroom draw that aren’t just for removing splinters.

“Guys, even if you’re low-maintenance, when it comes to grooming, there’s one area to give a wee bit of attention to: your eyebrows. Just a bit of a pluck with tweezers can whisk away those wiry strays, or sneaky greys. Why distract from the conversation with an errant brow line? Tweeze with ease!”

Andy Roache from Andy Hair and Makeup says that a pair of tweezers are essential

Thanks to our contributors for sharing their tips and tricks for men’s grooming:

Jennifer Burrows is from Value for Life – creating insanely great presenters who get heard, get their point across and ultimately get what they want and is a contributing author of “You Can…Live the Life of Your Dreams” (due for release 1st December 2012). www.valueforlife.com.au

Sue Ismiel is founder of Australian brand, Nad’s, specialising in hair removal products, including Nad’s Nose Wax. www.nads.com.au

SJ Tierney is author of The Vagina Buffet, Tales of a Brazilian waxer. Read more about SJ Tierney’s remarkable (and hilarious) adventures at www.vaginabuffet.com.

Andy Roache is a freelance hairdresser and makeup artist based in Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast. www.andyhairmakeup.com.au

Check out our range of men’s grooming products, including high quality men’s grooming brand, Beauty Mate.