Tag Archives: RAND

Christmas Gift Inspiration: DAY #4

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On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… well, they’re probably not your true love, as today we’re thinking about your office Secret Santa. There is usually a strict spending limit on these, so we’ve split this post into sections for the most common budgets for this game.

£1: £1 might not seem like a lot of money, but the great thing is that you can get really creative. Get your craft head on and scour the house for odds and ends to make something Christmas-themed. Or, if you’re not the most creative person, head to the local pound shop. Here you will find chocolate, mini toiletry sets and novelty gifts.

£5: Here you get a little more leeway. You could get a small box of good quality chocolate, a half price bottle of wine, some nice stationery or even a little gift set for this price. Or how about a couple of miniatures of their favourite spirit?

£10: The higher the spending limit for Secret Santa for people you don’t know well, the trickier it gets to buy something good. With the extra leeway, you need to come up with something great. For this price limit, we say play it safe and go for a bottle of nice wine or a little food selection. Anything too personal is a minefield, and a novelty gift will make them feel cheated out of a good gift at this price.

Remember to use RAND’s parcel quote tool before you send your gifts this Christmas!

Christmas Gift Inspiration: DAY #3

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It’s the middle of our week of Christmas gift information, and today we’re focusing on the kids. Many would say that Christmas is all about the children, which is why it’s so much fun looking for gifts. However, once you’ve secured this year’s big trend gift, what should be next on the list?

Jigsaw puzzle

Most children aren’t interested in clothes when they are young and would rather receive toys and games. Why not take it back to tradition and track down a jigsaw puzzle based on their favourite hobby? There are lots of sites now selling traditional wooden toys, many of which make lovely keepsakes long after your children have grown up.

Another fantastic idea is to get them a soft, cuddly version of their favourite animal. If trips to the zoo or the farm inspire a lot of enthusiasm, you could even adopt them their very own animal or buy them a season ticket to the nearest zoo so they can get their animal fix.

Chocolate is all well and good, but that sugar rush can make children hyperactive. Instead, why not get them their own gardening set complete with seeds so they can see where their food comes from? Start easy with cress and herbs and move onto fruit and vegetables when their skills develop.

Remember to send your Christmas gifts with RAND this year!

Christmas Gift Inspiration: DAY #2

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Welcome to the second day of our Christmas gift inspiration posts, and today we’re focusing on the men in your life. Remember to use RAND’s parcel quote checker before you send your Christmas gifts this year for the best rates.

It is very easy to fall into the trap of buying novelty Christmas gear for men. Christmas cufflinks, ties and socks are generally relegated to the back of the wardrobe, never to see the light of day again, so as funny as it might be on Christmas Day, it’s a waste of money. Think instead about something that will actually be used.

You can’t go wrong with practical clothing for a man, and when in doubt play it safe with a good quality shirt or jumper in a colour you know he likes. The same applies to socks: go for something functional and wearable but good quality.

A bottle of his favourite wine or a selection of ales would most likely go down well, and this could be accompanied with a variety of snacks to keep him munching through the next few days.

Or of course, for a little peace and quiet, there’s always a DVD boxset or a shiny new videogame…

Christmas Gift Inspiration: DAY #1

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Now we’re safely in November, the clocks have gone back and we’re all feeling the chill, it is safe for us to start talking about the C-word: Christmas! You have most probably noticed all the gifts arriving in shops over the past few weeks, and while it may seem overwhelming, we’re here to help, and we’re starting this week with the ladies.

Perfume

As a general rule, we recommend steering clear of anything too practical for the lady in your life. That means no new kettles, vacuum cleaners or blenders unless she has specifically requested it. Instead, why not make an effort and take inspiration from the things she chooses for herself? Check her perfume collection. Could you get her a matching body lotion for her favourite scent? Or the cardigan she loves in a new colour?

Chocolate can make a nice gift, but might look a little unimaginative. Instead, why not put together a little hamper of her favourite sweet treats? She’ll appreciate the effort and thought, and you can tailor it to her tastes. As a general rule, if you don’t know her size, don’t guess and get it offensively wrong – but do remember that bags and accessories are generally one size fits all, and you can never go wrong with a sparkly piece of jewellery!

Use RAND’s parcel comparison tool to send all your Christmas gifts this year.

Parcel Tips: Day 5

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We have reached the end of our parcel delivery tips week, and we’re rounding off with tips to ensure your parcel actually makes it to its destination. Following all our previous tips should put you in a good position when it comes to helping your parcel get to its destination in one piece, but there are a couple more things you should do to help it on its way.

Firstly, make sure you opt for a courier you can trust. RAND only works with the best couriers so that you know your parcels will always arrive on time. If you are using a signed for service, let the recipient know in advance so that they can make sure they are in or have enough time to make alternative arrangements with their local post office.

Another feature you should use is a tracking service. RAND offers parcel tracking for all parcels sent through our system, and it can help you follow the journey of your items around the world for your own reassurance and so that you can let the recipients know where they have got to.

Next time you decide to send a parcel overseas, make sure you do it with RAND for competitive rates and a service you can trust.

Parcel Tips: Day 3

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We’ve now reached the middle of our week about parcel packaging, and today we’re going to be looking at the addressing and labelling process to ensure the postal service in each country knows where the parcel is going when you post internationally. It’s all very well having a beautifully packaged parcel, but it’s no good if it never makes it to its destination.

Unless you have beautifully clear handwriting, you might want to steer clear of writing the address by hand. If one letter or number is read wrong, it could end up in the wrong place. Instead, it is better to print the address in a large font and clear typeface (such as Arial). You may even want to do this in English and in the local language to make it easier for the local postal service.

If you are sending something fragile or need the box to remain a certain way up whenever possible, write this clearly on each side of the box in English and the language of the destination country so that the instructions are carried throughout the journey.

If you are going to write the address, use a waterproof, smudge-proof pen (such as a biro) rather than  something like a felt tip which can run when it gets wet, making it impossible to read. In any case, using sticky back plastic or something similar can help keep the address intact even if it travels in wet conditions to protect your parcel on its international journey.

Parcel Tips: Day 2

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This week, we’re looking at tips to help you with your worldwide parcel delivery. When items are travelling a long way, there is a bigger risk that they will be damaged or lost, which is why you need to be so careful and do everything you can on your end to help your items arrive at their destination in one piece. Today we will be looking at securing a package.

Yesterday we wrote about the benefits of using cardboard boxes for sending your parcels overseas, and today we’re going to be looking at the best ways to keep everything securely inside. The first rule is to avoid using normal household Sellotape. This will not be robust enough against the jostling journey, so use parcel tape created especially for sealing parcels.

Some boxes may also benefit from being stapled with special cardboard staples to keep them sealed, especially if the contents are heavy or especially valuable. These staples can be placed against any of the edges with openings. Alternatively, a strong glue (make sure it won’t eat through the box) can be used to reinforce edges and flaps.

If you are concerned that your box may not hold up in wet weather, you could get it wrapped in plastic by a special plastic wrapping machine to ensure the contents stay completely safe.

Parcel Tips: Day 1

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As we hurtle towards the busiest time of year for postal services around the world, we thought we’d help you out with some handy hints to help you make the parcel sending process an absolute doddle. Whether you’re selling your old clothes on eBay to make way for the new season’s hottest pieces or you’re simply sending out Christmas presents, we’ve got a few tips up our sleeve to help you ensure your items get there in one piece.

Today’s tip is all about packaging. When you send a parcel domestically, you might be used to getting away with a padded envelope or even just brown parcel paper. However, when you’re sending abroad, you should always opt for a sturdy corrugated cardboard box for extra safety and to keep your items in one piece. Items travelling overseas will go through a lot on their lengthy journeys, and this is the best way to protect them from damage.

Furthermore, anything too flimsy could split along the way, meaning your items could be lost forever. They will be handled by multiple people in what could be several countries or cities, so it needs to be kept safe in something sturdy.

For a reliable international parcel delivery service, RAND will always strive to give you the best possible customer service.

Christmas in the US

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We are concluding our week of US-themed blog posts with a little glance at Christmas in the US. It might seem too early for lots of you to be thinking about Christmas, but there are some interesting traditions we’d love to tell you about. If you have friends and family in the US, think about sending Christmas gifts to the US now for the best rates.

In Alaska, children carry a star on a pole from door to door to represent the star that guided the three wise men to Jesus over Bethlehem. They sing carols, and they are often invited inside to show gratitude.

In Hawaii, a US island state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the beginning of the Christmas season is signified by the arrival of the Christmas Tree Ship, which arrives laden with Christmas products to allow the Hawaiian residents to begin their decorating.

In Arizona, they follow a Mexican tradition called Las Posadas, whereby there is a procession and play representing Mary and Joseph looking for a room at an inn. Families re-enact the event by visiting each other’s houses posturing as Mary and Joseph, and many households decorate a crib for the baby Jesus.

‘Mumming’ is a practice most commonly associated with Philadelphia, where a Mummer’s Day parade takes place over six hours. Groups will get together in amazing costumes which take many months to create, and there is music and an air of festivity all day.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas in the US without the giant Christmas dinner, which is often very similar to the Thanksgiving dinner enjoyed on the fourth Thursday in November. Adults may enjoy mulled wine or eggnog, and there is a strong focus on creamy puddings.

Thanksgiving Day

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It might seem a little early to be thinking about Thanksgiving Day, but the most organised among us will want to take advantage of the benefits of sending a parcel early. The day is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the US, and this year falls on 28th November.

Thanksgiving generally marks the start of the American holiday season, and many families decide to put up their Christmas decorations around Thanksgiving. The day is most famous for its family feasts, which often resemble the traditional British Christmas dinner, with a turkey and all the trimmings and abundant displays of desserts, including pumpkin pie.

The day is all about showing thanks for all that you have and the people in your life, along with a religious element, and was started by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Many of the major cities hold parades, and these will involve spectacular displays of marching bands, music, dancing and floats. This gives families a chance to reunite in a family-friendly activity and get together with the other members of their community to join in with the festivities.

There are also special sports games to celebrate Thanksgiving, including American football games on Thanksgiving (the Thanksgiving Classic), and televised games from sports such as ice hockey, golf and auto racing around Thanksgiving.

If you have friends or relatives in the US, why not send them a Thanksgiving gift with RAND?