I don’t wish it would be Christmas every day…

Now don’t get me wrong, I am no Christmas Bah Humbug, in fact there are aspects of Christmas that I absolutely love.  I love the sentimentality of those endless made for television Christmas films; I love the non-stop playing of Christmas music everywhere I go; I particularly love Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty McColl;  I love the cold nights and warm fires;  I love decorating the tree;  I love cooking up a feast for family and friends;  I even love the annual village carol service – although I don’t normally admit to that.

So you see I am no Scrooge, however, to paraphrase the words of Roy Wood, I do not wish it would be Christmas every day because that would mean putting me through the one thing I really hate about Christmas – the shopping!.

I do not like Christmas shopping and I hate buying presents. I seem to spend hours browsing the web or battling through congested car parks, crowded shops, and frenzied shoppers to find that perfect present. Ultimately, my search for the perfect gift turns into a search for an acceptable gift and, even though I know my family very well, it’s pretty much a given that I will buy one or more of them, usually my mother-in-law, a Christmas present that doesn’t fit, isn’t right or that they simply hate. Why is it that husbands and partners never seem to buy presents for their own mothers? There really should be a law about it.

However, I must admit every now and then I do stumble on something that is absolutely perfect, and that is exactly what has happened this year.  I have come across a company called Unique Magazines (www.uniquemagazines.co.uk)  an online newsagent offering, amongst other things, an amazing magazine subscriptions service.

So what is the solution?

A magazine subscription, I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before!  What a great Christmas present; there’s something to please even the most difficult to buy for individual and it’s so much better than socks and soaps. You can dip in and out of a magazine, picking the articles that interest you; you can roll it up and stick it in your bag for later. It’s an ideal way to pass the time on the commute to work or even while soaking in the bath. It’s the gift that keeps on giving as every issue will be delivered direct to my chosen recipient’s door throughout the year.

Through Unique Magazines I have been able to access to over 3000 magazine titles from 150 publishing houses across the world, including many niche and specialist publications and even trade journals which are not commonly available on the high street. As you can see there was bound to be something to suit everyone on my list.

Here is how I have Christmas all wrapped up thanks to Unique Magazines

We’ll start with my mother-on law, what do you get the woman who has everything? I’ve decided on a subscription to Good Housekeeping magazine – articles on women’s interests combined with recipes, diet, health and product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute – what’s not to like.  However, the best thing for me about this magazine, is the fact that I have actually seen her buy it for herself so I know it’s something she will appreciate; certainly more than she appreciated last year’s cardigan.

My mother, on the other hand, is less demanding and a little more appreciative, although I have discovered that toiletries tend to end up in the Church bazaar tombola.  She has read the People’s Friend on and off for years, occasionally missing an edition – and thus a vital instalment of the serial she was reading – due to illness, holiday, a sell out at the newsagent or just sheer forgetfulness.  A subscription to her favourite weekly read will ensure this never happens again.

Dad has green fingers; he’s a keen gardener and can coax just about anything to grow just about anywhere. For him 12 copies of the BBC Gardener’s World magazine delivered direct to his door will provide a solution to all his gardening problems, tips on what he should be doing in the garden each month plus a world of fresh ideas and inspiration.

Then there’s my other half; a music aficionado with interests in sport, politics and what he likes to call contemporary style. Still very much young at heart, for him GQ magazine is the obvious choice, with its investigative journalism, comment, lifestyle, entertainment, sport, health, humour, politics and, of course, music. It’s available on his tablet too!

For my petrol head son, what could be better than subscription to Top Gear magazine? He rarely misses this TV show whether first time round on BBC2 or the repeats on Dave. I don’t how many times I have been forced to watch that testosterone filled trio of presenters driving through Albania – but he loves it.

Sis likes her celebrity gossip, fashion and real-life stories so Glamour magazine is my choice for her. However I am also signing her up to a subscription of Relax with Art because she often needs something to help her chill out and she has always loved colouring in.

My niece is a busy young woman who balances full time work with looking after a lively three-year-old.  For her I have chosen Prima magazine as it offers a mix of fashion and beauty inspiration, smart advice for all areas of life, great cookery, crafting and entertainment ideas, plus success stories of real women. And when she’s finished with it she can pass it on to me and her mother and her grandmother too!

My three-year old great niece (now doesn’t that make me sound like a really old woman?) is bright as a button and loves her stories so I am choosing Storytime magazine for her. This is a brilliant magazine for younger children as it’s packed with fun stories, fairy tales and colourful illustrations. There’s even a section which includes questions to ask about the story to engage the children even further and get them thinking about what they’ve heard.

Last on the list are the twins. These are my friends’ children; they have recently started junior school and are like chalk and cheese. One is a typical boy; boisterous, mischievous and just the perfect age to appreciate Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx, the Bash Street Kids and The Numskulls (are these the inspiration for the new Disney film?) so it’s a subscription to the Beano comic for him. The other is a much more laid back, serious soul. He’s into learning in a big way so for him I’ve chosen National Geographic Kids with its fascinating features about wildlife, the environment, world events, culture and civilisation, plus posters, competitions and things to make and do.

That’s That.  Now to treat myself

Finally, after sorting out everyone else, I have decided to treat myself.  I have chosen the BBC Good Food Magazine because each edition has over 80 recipes for everyday meals and easy entertaining which should help me feed my hungry hoard. I have also decided to put a stop husband’s habit of buying me yet another scarf and DVD.  I am buying for me, from him, a subscription to Vogue because it’s a classic and I have always loved it; it’s so indulgent.

Buying the Unique Magazine Christmas gift subscriptions has made my Christmas shopping so much easier and far less stressful.  I have found the perfect present for every member of my family, I was able to do everything from the comfort of my arm chair and I have made huge savings over the cover price of the magazines I have bought because publishers tend to subsidise subscriptions.

More importantly, through my Unique Magazine Christmas gift subscriptions my family and I will never miss an issue of our favourite magazines and we don’t have to remember to check in the shops when they go on sale as our copies will be posted directly to each of us.