This day next week all the Christmas festivities will be over and theres bound to be panic setting in over the country at this stage. So with only a few days left to get all the shopping done i teamed up with all the lovely people at the Ilac Centre in the heart of Dublin to make the Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide and help take some of the stress out of the festive season for all you last minute shoppers.
Christmas is all about the children in my eyes so to start I’ve picked out this Christmas’ top toys.
The Teksta Robotic Puppy, it was originally released in 1999 and it comes in blue and pink has different facial expressions, voice recognition, it obeys hand gestures and interacts with other Teksta puppies and with the App for iPad, iPhone and Android. Its €71.99 from Argus. Also from Argos and also an updated version of a previous Christmas hit toy is the Furby Boom, available in several different colours and with tons of new updates its €72.99.
For the girls i picked out this cute little check dress and top combo from the babies 0-3 months range its priced at €18.
The men in our lives can often be the hardest to buy for, from the boyfriend or husband to your dad or grandad, not to mention the brothers... So i’ve come up with some great gift ideas from The Ilac Centre that should have them all wrapped up.
Starting with the man himself. My top picks for the man in your life from the Ilac Centre this Christmas are... The PS4, its every gamers new must have gadget and lets face it most men love their playstations and some girls too! So if he’s been dropping hints like theres no tomorrow you can pick one up in Argos for €399. The Watch Shop have this beautiful rose gold Guess watch for €269. This leather bracelet is from Thomas Gear, I just love it, I know so many men who are always saying they would love a nice leather bracelet and i think this is perfect, its €70. Dolce & Gabbana The One is my favorite fragrance for men, it just smells like every womans perfect man, i promise you’ll fall in love with him all over again and again and again so long as hes wearing this, the set is €82 in The Perfume Shop.
For all of the fashion conscious men in your life theres a great selection of shops to choose from in the Ilac Centre. First I’ll start with this quirky Xmas jumper from river island. I love it, the colours are great and its not too jingle bellish so he can wear them all over the holidays not just on xmas day or for the xmas party and its only €37! I think it would look great with a shirt and i picked out this dickie bow just to finish off the look, and how couldn’t you when its only €4.80!
Next is Jack and Jones. They have some great stylish, staple pieces in at the minute at great prices. This grey blazer is €49.95 and the contrast collar polo shirt underneath is only €24.95. The green jacket has a real college student look and its €69.95. Finally the wool coat is €129.95, it'll smarten up any look! The shirt and knit jumper underneath it here on the manequin are on offer and its €60 for both from a range of colours.
While Jack and Jones cater for your more dapper chap, Epic, which is a sister store to Storm on Liffey street, caters for the boy round town. They have a great range of jackets, the blue water proof jacket is €79.99 and is available in 3 colours, the white polo shirt is €34.99 and the Cross Hatch puffa jacket is €69.99.
Unique Menswear is an Ilac Centre institution at this stage. They have a great selection of jumpers and shirts. For me this check shirt, €40, stood out as a perfect Christmas Day shirt for the younger man or teen, its long sleeved and looks smart enough for Christmas dinner and casual enough for lounging on the couch.
For the little men in your life Champion sports have a range of these cute McKenzie tracksuits starting at €32.
For Granda I found this great Xmas jumper in Unique Menswear, its festive, practical and warm and great value at €40. I also found this Remington Pro Power mens grooming set in Argos for €39.59, its great not just for grandads but for any man in your life you don’t know what to buy for!
These days we all have family living abroad. Thomas Gear Jewellers do a beautiful range of jewellry engraved with Irish iconography. I've picked out the sterling silver mens ring, priced at €50 its the perfect gift for any man living abroad who'd like to have a little bit of home with him.
For the Rugby fans out there, Direct Sports have a great range of Ireland and Leinster merchandise. Prices range from €8 to €15 and they are also available in football merchandise, Liverpool and Man Utd.
Secret Santa at work can be the worst! If you get stuck with one of the boys how about this Texas Holdem set from Debenhams for €14.40.
Next up for all you men and boys who don't know what to buy for your special lady here are some ideas.
I had a snoop around for some great little stocking fillers for her too! This tartan scarf has all the warm festive colours and will keep jack frost away for €9.95 from H&M. The adorable floral printed compact mirror is a handbag essential and its only €5 by Carolyn Donnelly for Dunnes. The tan leather gloves are also from Dunnes from their Paul Costelloe line and are €30. Finally this little sexy santa suit is a present for both of you from a range at La Chica, this ones €29.99.
For the fabulous fashionistas in your life the Ilac Centre has a great range of clothes shops to suit every budget, there really are some hidden gems here...
These three gems are from Kriza. Everything in the shop is highly embellished but if you team them up with simple, plain and classic pieces your onto a winner everytime! Like these black leggings with gold beading and gemstone detail they are priced at €99.99 and teamed with a simple black top are perfect for a night on the town. The jumper is part of a tracksuit which costs €120. The jumper is a gem, printed and embellished with rhinestones it draws inspiration straight from the Dolce and Gabbana catwalk, as does this highly embellished midlength sleeved dress also priced at €120.
This little tartan dress is perfect for the teenager and at €20 its perfect for your pocket too! Its from Fab, a great little shop with amazing prices!
This adorable pink hoodie from Diesel is for the girly girl for €59.99.
I popped into Gerard and found some great pieces for the glamorous granny like this blue sparkle dress for €49.99, the necklace with it is €19.99 and theres a great selection of necklaces at that price. I also picked out this classic camel coat, i think every woman should have a camel coat they are chic and timeless and so versatile so if your granny doesn’t have one this ones great value at €69.99. its teamed here with a scarf for €19.99, this scarf is available in a range of colourways and a very handy pocket friendly present cos we all know grannies love scarves!
Catch have a wide range of Christmas jumpers at reasonable prices. The ideal office Kris Kindle gift!
There are loads of great shoe shops in the Ilac Centre too. These adorable little runners are just about every teenagers dream €20 from *Cans.
Both of these amazing shoes are from Korkys. Theres a great giveaway at the end of this post for a €40 voucher from Korkys so don't forget to check it out! They have a great range of shoes for men and women and for all tastes. These gold sparkley heels are perfect for the party girl and are €39.99. The spike heel ankle boots are reminiscent of the Jeffrey Campbells but a fraction of the price at €49.99. Don't forget to enter the giveaway and good luck!
For all the bag ladies out there this little fun red number is €40 from Angel.
Giorgio Armani's new perfume Sí is perfect for the sophisticated lady... also known as the mammy. This giftset is available from The Perfume Shop for €77.
This Babyliss Curl secret is a huge seller this Christmas. It promises effortless luscious curls in seconds but its pricey at €166.49 from Argos. If shes always curling, thonging and rolling her hair these could be her best friend.
Last but not least I couldn't finish the gift guide without including the dog. Our dog always gets a Christmas present, I found this in Dunnes in their Carolyn Donnelly range for €15 and think it would be a great alternative to the usual doggy stocking he gets every year.
So thats my Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide all available at The Ilac Centre. I hope you enjoyed it and found it even a little bit helpful! Now for the Giveaway!! Like i said before I've got a €40 voucher for Korkys in the Ilac Centre up for grabs! With fabulous shoes like the ones above your bound to find some gorgeous foot candy to spend it on!
To be in with a chance of winning this great prize just follow the steps below. Best of luck and have a great Christmas!