Winter Olympics 2014: Day 5

It’s the last day of our Winter Olympics blog posts and as we come to the end of the downhill slope we take a look at how Great Britain is getting on in the games. Great Britain isn’t famous for their successes in the Winter Games, although they have set a target of three medals this year. Here’s what’s happened so far for team GB and a brief look at their history in the games.

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Great Britain won the first ever medal on snow in this year’s winter games with a bronze medal victory for Jenny Jones in the women’s slopestyle. Since then GB have struggled to add to their medal tally but finally managing to win a medal on snow is a positive achievement. Elsewhere team GB are putting a lot of their hopes on the curling teams who have tasted success in the past, most notably in 2002.

The most medals Great Britain have ever won in a winter games is four medals, way back in 1924. Their total accumulation of medals in the history of the winter games currently stands at 22 with 9 gold medals.

As we come to the end of posts surrounding the Winter Olympics, remember that RAND Logistics provide a collection and delivery service internationally. So if you need to ship a parcel abroad make sure you come to RAND for your free quote.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 4

On the penultimate day of our Winter Olympics coverage we have a look at how the leading team in the games, Germany, are fairing. They’ve managed to assemble nine medals in the games so far with six of them being gold. We also take a look back at Germany’s history in the games. RAND Logistics provide an international delivery service to Germany, so you can easily get your parcels to Berlin or Munich with our unrivalled service.

Germany has been involved in 18 of the 20 Winter Olympic Games that have been hosted as they were not invited to either event that came after each World War. However, Germany did host the event just three years before World War 2. They had also been selected to host the games in 1940. Overall, Germany has won 360 medals at the Winter Olympics.

At this current point in the 2014 games, Germany has been extremely successful in their chosen events. Yesterday we saw Eric Frenzel win gold in the Nordic combined event, whilst they also came out on top in the double luge. However, day 4 saw the Germans lose out 7-6 in their curling match against Great Britain.

Keep up-to-date with the leading countries here at RAND during the winter games. Why not have a look at our range of services or contact us for a detailed summary of the logistics services we have to offer.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 3

On our third day of focusing on the Winter Olympics in Sochi we’re looking it the most decorated team so far at the games, the Norwegians. With twelve medals to their name, Norway currently have the biggest tally of medals but sit in second place on the medals table behind Germany who have five gold medals.

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Norway have seen success in the Cross-Country Ski, the Biathlon and the 10k Sprint amongst other events, showing they have what it takes in the snow-based events.  Their success in cross-country skiing is unparalleled across the globe with a total of 96 medals acquired in the event since the winter games came into existence.

You can also expect to see Norway competing this week in the speed skating, with a total of 80 medals to their name in the history of the games. Notable gold medals that they have won at this year’s games include Marit Bjorgen’s gold in the cross-country, her fourth Olympic gold in a glittering career.

RAND Logistics will keep you up-to-date this week with some of the notable countries competing in the Winter Olympics, whilst we can also direct you to our unrivalled logistics services. We provide international parcel delivery to Norway so if you need to send a gift to Scandinavia, make the most of RAND Logistics services today.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 2

It’s our second day of Winter Olympics coverage and we’re taking a look at how the highly-rated Canadians are doing so far in the event.

Canada is often plagued with some of the most extreme weather conditions on the planet with regular snowfall throughout the year. This gives many Canadians the perfect opportunity to master their skills on the snowy mountain slopes.

Canada is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, especially for those living in the UK. Situated north of the U.S, Canada is famous for its incredible mountain ranges, Niagara Falls and their highly skilled hockey and lacrosse teams.

RAND Logistics offer an international parcel delivery service to Canada as we are aware of the number of people born in the UK currently residing in Canada.

Freestyle skiing has been Canada’s most successful sport this Winter Olympics as they have acquired six medals in the event so far.  With a total of nine medals in the games overall at this point in time, you can expect Canada to be fighting with Russia for top spot come the end of the games.

RAND Logistics offer our pick-up and delivery service all over the world, so get in touch with us today if you want to send a parcel internationally or take a look at our range of services.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 1

The Winter Olympics is well underway over in Sochi and we’ll be using this week to focus on the history of the games and some of the significant aspects of the event. Remember that RAND Logistics provide an international delivery service to Russia, so make sure that you make the most of our services if you plan on sending something to Russia in the future.

The Winter Olympics has a much shorter history than the Olympic Games, with the first games being held at the start of the 20th century. The Olympic Games that followed the First World War introduced a number of winter Olympic events such as figure skating after the 1916 winter Olympics were cancelled as a result of the war.

From 1964 onwards, the Winter Olympics became an increasingly popular spectacle with many events introduced for the first time. Increased broadcasting provided money for the games and soon enough the games reached a similar popularity to that of the Olympic Games itself.

Interestingly, the first ever boycott of the Winter Olympics was from Taiwan after the IOC ordered them to change their name and national anthem.

If you’re following the Winter Olympics this week, be sure to check back here to learn more about the games, whilst you can also learn more about our logistics services here at RAND.

Handmade Gifts for Christmas

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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.