Monthly Archives: December 2013

New Years Across the World #2

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It’s the second day of our analysis of the celebration of New Years and today we are focusing on Denmark and the traditional ways in which New Years is celebrated there. The wintry weather in Scandinavia during this time of year often spills over to New Years, resulting in a celebration similar to that of Christmas. Here’s what to expect if you’re celebrating New Year’s in Denmark.

A traditional belief in Denmark is that smashing plates and other pieces of china on people’s doorsteps ensures that they will have a successful year full of social benefits and newfound friendships. This particular routine is carried out at both midnight and throughout New Years Day itself.

In addition, Denmark highlights the New Years Eve celebrations by baking a huge cake known as a Kransekage. This cone-shaped cake is decorated and eaten as a dessert by those who attend the specific event. It is often accompanied by miniature flags, candles and other dramatic decorations to help liven up and represent the day.

If you know someone who requires a gift sent to Denmark in 2014, RAND Logistics can offer you an outstanding shipping service. Have a look at our shipping rates and get yourself a quote today.

 

New Years Across the World #1

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It’s the final week of 2013 and the start of a brand new year, so what better way to represent the huge event than to analyse how it’s celebrated across the globe. Many countries have their own distinct ways of celebrating New Years and the first country we are focusing on is Japan.

The Japanese believe that New Years Eve welcomes the God of the New Year, Toshigami. The Buddhist temples across the country symbolise the arrival of the New Year at midnight by ringing the temple bells 108 times precisely. This is seen as a fitting way of welcoming Toshigami and the start of a new year.

With Buddhists welcoming their New Year’s God, the rest of Japan treats the occasion as any other special event. Cards and gifts may be exchanged between friends, family and loved ones, whilst many people will give their homes a thorough clean in preparation for the New Year in a traditional manner. The cards that are exchanged are often a particular form of thank you card that acknowledges the affection shown throughout the year.

If you want to send a parcel to Japan in time for New Years, RAND Logistics can help. Take a look at our services and get a quote for the shipping of your New Years gift today.

Handmade Gifts for Christmas

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On the last day of our Christmas week, let us discuss handmade gifts. When done well, with time and effort put in, a handmade gift can be a really sweet way of showing someone you care about them.

handmade

Before you decide to make the gift for your recipient, make sure you know that they would like this type of gift. Like it or not, some people aren’t the sentimental type, so a handmade photo frame might not be the best idea. Handmade gifts can be a heartfelt alternative to buying things off the rack. A necklace or a gold watch might seem romantic, but other people your recipient knows could have received the exact same gift, which makes theirs seem less special.

Put a lot of effort into it, even if you have no experience with making gifts. Try your hardest with your gift, whatever it is, as your recipient will probably see the effort put into the gift, and will be more likely to appreciate it. It helps if your gift is practical in some way, or an accessory, like a pair of warm gloves or a keychain.

Whatever your gift giving ideas are, make someone’s day with a parcel delivered by RAND Logistics. With our competitive rates throughout the world from parcels to Australia, to packages to the Ukraine you won’t need to use any other service for sending parcels internationally.

Gifts to Avoid This Christmas #2

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Continuing with our week of our top tips of gifts not to give, we’ll look at some top tips in learning what doesn’t count as a good present.

plates

A great tip is to think about how you would feel getting a gift that you are planning to give. If the prospect of opening a set of neon orange dinner plates or a wooden coat hanger fills you with dread, then those are probably not ideal gifts to give someone else. Unless they have specifically asked for them, who knows, someone could be into neon crockery.

Know your audience! There is nothing more embarrassing than a gift of flower to someone who is allergic, or a bottle of bubbly for someone who is teetotal. Just take five minutes to do a little background research into your recipients’ likes and dislikes, and avoid the awkwardness when they open a present they can’t really use.

Whether your present is good, bad, or intentionally ugly, have a look at RAND logistics for competent, professional shipping anywhere in the world.

Gifts to Avoid This Christmas #1

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We’ve had a week full of helpful advice on what you can give people for Christmas. Now here are some prime examples of what you probably shouldn’t gift people, whatever they are celebrating.

amish doll
Quirky money boxes such as cats pawing at money you put on a cream saucer? Yes. An eerie face set into a wall that chews excitedly as you approach it with your money? Definitely not. A Face Bank is a Japanese toy that was quite popular if you are sending a parcel to Japan.

The lower half of the wall contains a sensor that alerts it to nearby money, and the mouth moves as if it is trying to chew and swallow the money you feed it. Some trends don’t translate so well, it seems.

Dolls. Dolls can be a very touchy subject. Normally when gifting someone a doll, you will know whether or not it is the right sort of gift for that person. However, there are some dolls that would never go down well.

A traditional Amish doll is a doll that lacks a face, to symbolise that we are ‘all alike in the eyes of god’ however in today’s modern shock society a faceless doll serves as less of a biblical present and more of a creepy horror icon.

I guess you could always stick some googly eyes onto the doll if you really wanted.

Once you’ve decided on a better gift for your international relative, have a look at RAND Logistics competitive shipping rates.

 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 10

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It’s the final day of Christmas gift ideas before the big day and what better way to top it all off than give you the top 5 gifts for all this December 25th. We’ve covered all sorts of different gift addressees in the last month so it’s time to wrap everything up with a top 5 of Christmas panic-buys and homemade items. Here’s what to do if you’re still stuck for ideas with just a few days remaining!

Chocolates

This shouldn’t just be an ordinary chocolate bar. Search around for some truly special chocolate treats, whether it’s to do with a theme your loved one might like or just something a bit more expensive than usual.

Scented Candles

They offer a great service over Christmas time so a pretty-looking candle with a pleasant aroma could be the road to go down.

Custom Cushions

If you’ve got sewing skills at hand, why not try and make something comfortable from a spare scarf or hat you don’t need? It would be decent to wash the scarf beforehand of course…

Hat & Scarf

If you’ve got time, why not try and make your own gift in the shape of a warm hat or scarf? Otherwise, hats and scarves are great gifts that are more than necessary for the upcoming winter.

Gift Box

It’s a kind of treasure trove where you collect a selection of treats and store them in a nicely wrapped present box. It’s a gift that might seem small but portrays a huge amount of kindness and effort.

Got last minute gifts to send to someone this year? RAND Logistics are prepared for you whether you need an international service or something a bit more local. Have a look at our services for more information.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 9

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You may well be away from someone this Christmas and in the process of planning the gifts for that particular family or group of people. After covering their gifts, consider if they’ve got any pets as well! Sending gifts to the family dog or other family pet is sometimes essential, especially if you know the pet well. Whatever the situation may be, a gift for a pet can be a heart-warming gesture to the owners as well, so why not consider some of our pet gift ideas this Christmas?

One of the best possible gifts you can get for a pet this Christmas is food. Food for a dog or other household animal can be easily purchased at any general store. In addition, you might want to have a look at some of the luxury food brands for an improvement on your average pet food. Make sure you check countries list of prohibited and restricted items when shipping internationally as food is sometimes present on these lists.

Another gift idea for pets is a toy. Toys are great gifts that are almost certain to work with any animal that you’re specifying. From scratching posts and chew toys through to tennis balls and treats, toys are certain to keep any pet occupied when they are tempted to chew up their owner’s presents!

Are you preparing gifts this Christmas? Whether it’s a family friend or a pet, take a look at RAND’s services this Christmas and make the most of our international parcel delivery option.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 8

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Our Christmas gift ideas continue and today we are focusing on the ideal present for women. It’s no surprise that so many men are panicking up until the last second because they don’t know what to get for their other half. In addition, you might be struggling for gift ideas intended for a female friend who is currently oversees. Whatever you situation may be, take note of our top 3 Christmas gift ideas for women here before you carry your anxieties all the way through to Christmas Eve.

1)      Clothing

It’s not the easiest present to give another woman if you’re a man but in fact, women are very fond of the idea of receiving clothing as a Christmas gift. You might want to ship a gift to Russia such as a comfy scarf or hat that can provide them with warmth during the colder days or you might be able to get some personal advice beforehand regarding a preferred onesie. Ultimately, clothing can be a very safe and realistic option as a gift this Christmas.

2)      DVD Box Sets

Everyone likes a DVD Box set and your wife or girlfriend might really appreciate a whole box set of their favourite show this Christmas. It’s an especially good present if you and a friend are both interested in the show as it highlights some of the significant elements of your friendship. An excellent option if you’ve done the background research.

3)      Beauty Accessories

It’s the easy way out but always an appealing gift. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve known someone for decades or you’re getting your first Christmas present for them, beauty products are an ideal gift for women. They may be temporary gifts that don’t have personal representations but they are a popular gift that always seems to work. If your still stuck for ideas, this is the way to go.

Finding gifts for friends and loved ones can be tough but if you follow our top 3, you may well be sorted for the run in to Christmas Day. Don’t forget to make the most of RAND Logistics services this Christmas as you prepare to ship your gifts both across the country and internationally.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 7

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Today we look at some of the ideas Christmas gifts that men will be after this Christmas. If your struggling to find the perfect gift for your husband or need to send something internationally to a male friend in time for Christmas, you might want to consider a few of the gift ideas we have to offer. There are all sorts of great gifts that would be perfect for men this Christmas, so here’s a top 3 of the some of the best Christmas gifts for men you can get this year.

1)      BBQ

Barbecues are symbolic of the summer months and any guy is going to want to put his barbecuing skills to the test during the warmer seasons. It could inspire them to start cooking more often and it proves to be an excellent alternative to cooking in the kitchen. There are all sorts of affordable barbecues or barbecue products out there, but this is certainly the ideal gift.

2)       Survival Kit

It might seem a bit cliche but pen knives or other outdoor tool kits can really encourage outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. A lot of men seem to have been inspired by famous adventurers such as Bear Grylls and Ray Mears in recent times, so this could be the perfect opportunity to inspire his dream of venturing through the local forests more often. If you are shipping items like this, you might want to consider our shipping restriction guides for each country beforehand.

3)      Docking Stations/ Speakers

Finally, docking stations and speakers are actually a great gift for any man, whether it’s from wife to husband or one mate to another. The amount of speakers available nowadays means there are products that suit a variety of budgets and all sorts of different purposes. You can maybe get some speakers that accompany a cycling journey to work or a larger surround sound speaker for the TV. Either way, this is sure to be a big hit as a gift this Christmas.

Make sure you make the most of RAND Logistics this Christmas to ship your parcels internationally. Take a look at our list of services for more information.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 6

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It’s a new week of Christmas gift ideas as we build up to the big day here on the RAND Logistics blog. Today we’ll be having a look at some of the worst and weirdest Christmas gifts to be sent across the globe and some of the reasons why they have become notoriously bad gift ideas. No one’s perfect and sometimes the Christmas presents we get may not be fully appreciated for all sorts of reasons. Here’s a list of some of the most bizarre festive delights to be shared across the world.

The Bling Mug

It’s something that would probably make Del boy jealous. This particular cup of tea has a certain shine to it as the handle is made out of dazzling sovereigns. It’s an excellent gift for the boss but an absolutely diabolical object to look at. This has to be in our list of worst Christmas gifts.

The Voodoo Kitchen Knife Holder

Imagine a knife holder shaped as a human being. I think you know what comes next. Sort your kitchen knives by placing them through various areas of the human body. Probably the perfect gift for someone you really hate, then again it could work wonders if you’re feeling pretty stressed after a hard day’s work.

Panic Button

Every keyboard needs one of these, especially if your work colleague is absolutely tied down with work on a regular basis. Give them an easy way out with this red panic button, which is shaped like a key on the average computer keyboard.

You might be tempted to invest in some of these whacky gift ideas this Christmas, so if you are make sure you make the most of RAND’s international parcel delivery service and get your brilliantly awful presents sent to someone you love.