October Bank Holiday 2013 - Opening Hours

October Bank Holiday 2013 - Opening Hours

With the October Bank Holiday just around the corner, we just wanted to let you know that our offices will be closed on Monday the 28th October 2013.

Our offices will re-open for business as usual on Tuesday the 29th.

Orders received over the weekend will be processed and dispatched on Tuesday the 29th October.

Enjoy the bank holiday and rest up as best you can before Christmas comes a knockin'!

Fred

Budget Day 2013 Blues?

We may all be needing one of these!

Well, with yet another Budget finished for the year, let's just hope that this really is the worst of it over!

We are at least happy with no change on the VAT rate which means that we won't have to adjust any of our prices in the lead up to Christmas 2013.

So now, the decks are cleared - let's begin Christmas Shopping! That's bound to cheer you up eh?!

OK, Summer is finally over...

A rainy start to Ireland's autumn!

OK, so I finally concede that Summer is well and truly over! As is becoming increasingly more and more common with our climate, Ireland has jumped happily from Indian Summer directly to winter and skipped autumn altogether again.

Today being the 1st of October was already a bit of a shock to me but to have it capped with this kind of grey weather and heavy rain really didn't do much to lighten the spirits. So now, I have to forget the BBQ for another year and start thinking of what lies ahead for the winter. 

It's time to start digging out the winter duvet, the warmer coats, the gloves and put away the beach towels and sunglasses. At least we have a few things to look forward to. Not very far away is the sight of Hallow'een which then brings us straight into the Christmas run. That's when we have to start thinking about our Christmas shopping for another year and when we promise ourselves that this year we won't get caught out last minute again. This year we'll actually plan our shopping and even have our Kris Kindle gift for the office ready.

The one great thing this year though that we all have to admit is that at least we had a great summer. Plenty of sunshine, warm days and great festivals!

Way too early for Christmas! It's only September!!

It is incredible really! Even though we are in retail and we live for the sight of shoppers coming to our site, there is one thing that we just cannot bring ourselves to do.... and that is starting Christmas in late Summer.

A few years ago I went to London for a weekend and decided to go and do a bit of window-shopping in Harrod's famous store in central London. It was early September and the weather was just amazing. It was warm, with blue skies and people wandering around in shorts and t-shirts. We stepped into Harrod's and made our way down to the basement area (I had to have a look at their latest gadgets and electronics) and as we walked down the stairs, the very first thing we saw was a Christmas tree... in September, on a warm day!

Now I love Christmas as much as the next person and we all know that it has become so commercialised now that the original meaning is lost to more and more people every year. Even so, when I see or hear a mention of Christmas or Christmas Shopping in Summer (and yes, to me September is still Summer!), it just makes me a little ill and makes me feel like running away very quickly.

Luckily, I was able to dismiss the unpleasant experience in London and the lack of taste Harrod's demonstrated in having a Christmas feature this early in the year by explaining it away to myself as perhaps being an 'English' thing. I mean every nation has its own quirks and maybe a Summer Christmas is their way or drawing themselves closer to their Australian friends.

So I have to say that I was even more surprised when I walked into Brown Thomas on Dublin's Grafton Street last weekend (again, just window shopping - I don't have a penny to spend and especially not there) to see the same thing all over again. As I climbed (well, I just stood on the escalator actually), the sight of a Christmas tree loomed up in front of me! So it obviously wasn't just a mad English thing then - the madsers are here too now!

Well, here at Pressieport, while we'd love people to shop like maniacs all year long, we feel that there have to be limits to what we do. September and even October are way too early for Christmas-sy behaviour. Rest assured, you won't ever see that on our site before the clocks change back to winter time and that's a promise!

An out-of-this-world original and personal gift - An Acre of Land on the Moon

A very original gift! An Acre of Land on the Moon

We recently added this wonderful original gift to our list of favourite presents. The story behind how it came about that you could own an acre of land on the moon is nearly as original as the gift itself and you can read all about it here.

We think that probably one of the main reasons as to why this gift is so popular is simply because it's personal, not expensive and very original and fun.

How does it work?

Well, when you buy an Acre of Land on the Moon giftbox, you will receive an official title deed to that specific plot of land on the Moon in side the box. This deed is unique and it's all you need to do.

But, if you want, you can do a bit more personalization. You can either contact the Lunar Embassy to have your name registered officially against that plot of land, or for a small additional cost, you can also request that they issue you with Personalised Deeds. These last two steps are totally optional.

Once you've placed your order, we will almost always have your gift out to you the next business day as long as you order before 2pm on a weekday.

Don't forget, you get free overnight delivery Nationwide when you place an order for €50 or more!

Mother's Day is coming! Sunday, April 3rd

3rd April is Mother's Day in Ireland! Don't Forget!!

And its that time of the year again when we get to give our mothers a day off from the relentless task of looking after the family, the house and us. This Sunday is Mother's Day and that's the day when, for a change, you get to give mum a day off, get her some well deserved gifts, a card and maybe even treat her to lunch or dinner in a nice restaurant.

Mum's are generally practical, so they tend to appreciate it all the more if you're prepared to put a bit of thought or originality in what you get for them. A simple bunch of flowers and a card is just not that much of an effort in the imagination stakes.

Although the gift you might get may not be practical, mum will appreciate seing a bit of originality in whatever you do get her. A bit of humour always goes down a treat, maybe some retro to remind mother of those faraway days when she had a life of her own.

If you are looking for some original gift ideas for this Mother's Day, don't forget to have a look here for some suggestions. Orders can be placed up to Thursday at 2pm and will be delivered the next day, anywhere in the country. If you need your gifts wrapped, just let us know and if you want to add a quirky card, just pick one from the large selection available.

The important thing is to make sure that mum doesn't get landed with any of the washing up this Sunday.

Happy Mother's Day!

Our favourite toy for this Christmas!

We think this guy is going to be our best-seller this Christmas. He went down a bomb with the kids at the recent exhibitions that we did at the RDS and we've had calls from people looking for him ever since.

His mate will be joining soon too - The Laughing Lion. Watch this space and have a look at the video to see him in action.