Discover the world of sizzling Swiss Military and Alpine Club products that embody both functionality and quality.

Writing Instruments
The Swiss military collection of Writing Instruments is known for the excellent quality and unique design elements. The Limited Edition line is created to impress the receiver. It is constructed from the finest and the best quality components.

Ergonomic, functional design of the line sure will leave a user wondering why he or she did not write with this genuine Swiss Military Writing Instruments before. If you happen to run out of ink, you can buy an exclusive Swiss-made ink refills to continue enjoying writing with your well-crafted SM pen.

Their features are Swiss Made Refill; Gold Plated Parts; Scratch Proof Lacquer; Black Metal Finish Body and Top Swiss Cross Logo with Epoxy. There is Shining Black Lacquer Barrel with Gold Plated Parts.

The SM/Alpine Club travel Gear
The travel Gear series of SM/Alpine Club has something for everyone to meet diverse needs of travel and vacation that includes hiking, protecting your laptop during travel, or dashing through the airport.

Durability and high performance are their features. The bags will make sure that your valuables safely reach the destination. A recent addition to their selection is laptop trolley bag. It features individual compartments for storing your personal possessions.

Their waist belt pouches and leisure bags are perfect for families and individuals respectively. These ready to use bags are suited for carrying Cameras, tickets, Passports, etc. while you are on the move.

They come with features like a Mobile Holder and Pen Holder. They are easy to handle and adjustable. Built from tough material, they also have a large Storage Capacity and multiple pockets. 

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In the last blog, we discussed how women find it difficult to pick gifts for men. But then there are women who tend to take an easy way out — either by gifting cards, cash or a gift voucher. The men can utilize the gift voucher or cash to buy whatever they want.

A media professional mentions in the DNA article by doing this she ensures that none of her gifts is turned down. According to her, she either gives vouchers or takes her friend to shopping along with her. So there is no problem when it comes to understanding the persons’ likes or dislikes in terms of style, size, colors, etc. Many women opt for branded gadgets or electronics. But here again personal likes and dislikes cone into play.

Thankfully, many gifting stores and experts help you select the perfect gift. The owner of Nuggets, Anju Poddar, is willing to offer advice for buying gifts for men. Nuggets is an elaborate gifting store. The professional understands that shopping for gifts for men is often a problem since there are fewer options available. One of the safest options is a bottle of whisky or wine.

Ironically, the gifting expert herself faces a problem while selecting a gift for her husband. So what then is the perfect gift for your man, going beyond usual belts, bags, wallets, clothes and cufflinks? One way out is buying something useful. Accessories can be a safe option if you are not sure about his choice.

A partner at Gifted Lifestyles, Kanchan Khubchandani, suggests grooming products. They are a big hit, in the backdrop of the metrosexual mania. Some women simply follow their instinct, and buy what their heart tells them is right for their man, and that does the trick for them!

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‘What do get as a gift for your man?’ This the question women often ponder over with no definite clue. Though there is no unique or even generalized solution, you can certainly learn from experience or get tips from your more experienced friends. 

In fact, there was an interesting article on this topic by writer Joanna Lobo titled ‘The ordeal of buying gifts for men’ that appeared in the DNA News recently. The writer had a rather curious statement to make.” Ask a woman to climb a mountain, she will willingly do it. Ask her to climb it backwards; she may not do it, but will definitely give it a try!  However, ask the same female to get a gift for her husband/brother/boyfriend, and she may perhaps balk at the idea. For most females, getting gifts for their men is rather an arduous job.”

The main reason is non-availability of ideal gifts and also the fact that most men tend to shy away from memorabilia. Women will gush over how the clothes, jewelry, or a small knick-knack gifted to them. They will exclaim that it fits perfectly in so & so place or how the gifted item will match one of their particular outfits.

However, gift a showpiece to a man and his first question would be “where to put this?” The article quotes computer engineer Sandeep Bamane who faced this dilemma. Two of his enterprising friends presented him with a penholder.

It was a skeleton that held a basketball. “They thought it would be useful for me. But I hated it,” was his reaction. Many may believe that gifting a guy something weird and wacky is preferable. But that again does not always hold true. So what is the way out? We shall check out tomorrow…

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Gifts give a great joy, it goes without saying. They convey your emotions to the receiver, who in turn, appreciates your sentiments. Gifts enhance relations and strengthen bonds of love. But gifts also serve a practical purpose when it comes to financial planning. You may wish to know. Let me bring to your notice that gifts can serve as a simple albeit very effective tax planning tool.

The provisions of Section 56, relating to tax on gifts, along with the basic exemption limit provisions to make your income is tax-free are applied simultaneously, to ensure tax-free income.

An individual falling in a higher tax bracket, can manage to cut down on the tax liability and increase his or her capital into tax-free income through gifts. This is essentially made possible by tax planners.

The method they follow is to make a person give gifts from post-tax capital to the parents and major children, who mostly are non-taxpayers. To double the benefit, when the recipients of these gifts invest the same, the family can earn more tax-free income.

Of course, there are certain issues, precautions and clarifications that you need to seek from your tax consultant who will address all these aspects so that you are able to put this gainful tax planning strategy through gifting into practice.

In a nutshell, gifts given to your parents and children (above 18) will not invite clubbing provisions. We shall learn about the finer aspects of tax planning and gifting in the subsequent blogs.

Tags: business gift baskets, business gifting, Worst gifts, gifting etiquette, Corporate gifting, promotional gifts, Corporate gifting India, Business etiquette, Cheap corporate gifts, gifting india

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You will be busy celebrating and welcoming the New Year with your friends, family and colleagues - texting and calling them as well. This also is the perfect opportunity to share our joy through exchanging wishes and gifts.

The New Year gift basket is a not to be missed ritual. Here we offer some off-beat ideas and basic suggestions for you to create a gift basket for your boss, colleagues and friends.

• Always keep the hierarchy factor in mind. For your immediate bosses, the gift basket should be a tad bigger, and the gifts, that much more expensive.
• The basket that you gift your owner or MD should be the most impressive. Come up with a bottle of his/her favorite perfume; buy a branded shirt or get a classy pen set.
• The gifts you give may not be that much more expensive than the ones you give your colleagues, but should be packed creatively and presented in person.
• Decorate the handle with a bigger bow or shinier ribbon and you’re sending a sub-conscious message about his status.
• Find out what the person likes is looking to acquire before making a choice and that person really wants to possess. It is not always about buying a costly gift.
• If you want to be conventional, stick to office essentials like deodorants, classy pens, desk-top clocks, miniature calendars, etc.
• Colleagues in your department should be given the same gifts or goodies; you can skip the other departments unless you have forged special ties with some of them.

Make an impact with an impressive gift basket and after that, no one will be forgetting you in a hurry. Last but not the least, do your bit for society, when buying your gifts. Buy some products from an NGO.

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Being eco-friendly and socially conscious is the new trends when it comes to celebrating and gifting.Many websites are thriving on this concept. One of them is GiveIndia that involves a simple procedure for being part of this new movement. Once you are registered with the site, you just need to state the cause you wish to support and the contribution you wish to make. The web link is then promoted. For example a newly married, a member of the site, printed an appeal on their wedding card for donating money instead of showering them with personal lavish gifts.

Many members have been raising funds in this manner through the website. You can pass the link to your colleagues, relatives, friends, and social forums. One of them informs to have collected Rs 60,000 for a social cause. Many see this as a chance to remember their near and dear ones who are no more in this world.

Corporate gifting pattern is changing as well. Corporate entities instead of merely ordering a consignment of cards from NGOs are making a contribution to help NGOs. The Concern India Foundation has a donor match program for both corporate world and individuals who approach them with a pre-set budget and a wish list of the cause they wish to support, and the foundation helps match these requests with the NGO concerned.

Even festive celebrations are turning eco-friendly. Coexist provides an environmentally friendly solutions through a range of eco-sensitive handmade decorations in cloth and hand-made paper.

Bollywood starlet Genelia D’Souza is one celebrity who believes ‘Green Christmas’ is a fantastic idea. She stated: “I think it would be a great idea to try out the eco-friendly material for decorating the tree.” Choreographer Marc Robinson and his wife Waluscha get their decorations and even the tree from New York. and do not buy new stuff every year.

Tags: Corporate gifting, Popular corporate gifts, gifting to clients, Best business gifts, Worst gifts, business gifting, gifting india, Best corporate gifts, gifting etiquette, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting

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The gesture of gifting has now taken a whole new context and meaning. Ethical gifting seems to be the buzzword, not restricted to the corporate sector alone. The trend now encompasses a range of actions like raising funds for a noble cause or pledging your wonderful wedding gift, supporting and helping an NGO, etc.

A DNA India news report by Sanghamitra Bhowmik points out that gifting has taken on an entirely new dimension with the internet. GiveIndia’s is one among the noteworthy innovations. The site has a webpage titled ‘iGive’, which can be used by visitors to raise funds for a specific cause or mission that they support or espouse.

Amita Chauhan of GiveIndia has been quoted as saying: “We once had a couple that donated the money they had received in gift during their wedding to an NGO of their choice.” 

Gifting eco-friendly products also has caught the fancy of the socially conscious class.
The proprietor of eco-friendly gift shop Eco Corner, Urvashi Mody has been in the business for over two and a half years. They already have several repeat customers for such gifts. Mody sources these eco-friendly products from across the country, as she claims. Her shop displays a variety of them including jute items, stationary, craft products designed by the tribal people and the underprivileged.

Nyassa in the western suburbs of Mumbai is another body that has on offer its line of nourishing natural body & beauty products that it produces and distributes. It was launched in 2007 by Ishwin Anand. The products are manufactured with essential oils and entirely natural materials.

Eco-friendly packaging is also becoming popular.

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The tradition of gifting on the eve of Christmas seems to have started with the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. As mentioned in the Bible’s book of Matthew, “On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshipped him. They then opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and of myrrh…” There are some curious gift categories that we came across, including teachers’ worst Christmas gifts, popular gifts, etc. 

Usually teachers love to get pressies from their pupils on Christmas eve, but often what they get is a bit weird, a BBC NEWS report points out. It mentions a golden horse statue, a raw chicken and a glass fish among the stranger gifts they have been given.

For those planning to buy a present for their teacher, and wondering what they should, BBC Newsround spoke to a cross-section of teachers in the UK to find out the worst things they  can or have received at Christmas.

It noted: “Among the worst things teachers said to get was perfume, which smells really bad! Another was chocolate, particularly if it is out-of-date, or one that is half-eaten! And the worst thing that pupils can possibly gift their teachers on Christmas eve are some really tacky ornaments. But do not worry if you are not planning to give your teacher a pressie, or perhaps you cannot afford to get much.”

You do not spend loads, but simply try to ensure that your gift is as personal and unusual as possible. According to the government, the report mentions in a lighter and literal vein, teachers are not allowed to give pupils higher ranks only because they have given them nice gifts!
 
Try the Christmas quiz 

Incidentally, BBC NEWS published another report on a host of hostile Christmas gifts. All were found to be counterfeit as well as dangerous.

Curiously, Ipod has topped the list of contemporary Christmas gifts. A news report mentions: “Looks like assorted gift givers and secret Santas worldwide have found an easy gift option (the Ipod). It has sold over 150 million units since first launched in 2001.”

Classic diamond earrings came second as the preferred gift item, closely followed by the Nintendo Wii. The popular games console works by detecting the players’ movement is very much in demand. A Tiffany necklace stood fourth. Gadgets are proving to be popular with a laptop, Nintendo Gameboy and Playstation 3 all voted into the top 50.

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As Christmas approaches, Santa Claus is eagerly awaited by children and so also the goodies and gifts he brings along.

It is interesting to note that the popular view of Santa we all have today - with the sleigh, the reindeer and the chimney – was derived largely from Clement Moore’s ‘The Night Before Christmas’, the 1822 book, further reinforced further by an advertising campaign.

The Santa Claus story combined with the modern retailing phenomena and consumer culture has grown since the turn of the century to make gift-giving an integral element of the Christmas celebrations. Incidentally, there was no elaborate exchanging of gifts until late 1800’s.

The Christmas tree – apparently a German tradition – began in the early 700AD century. The tradition of a Christmas Tree gradually moved to the UK and US. Since Victorian times, people had been decorating trees with candies and cakes hung with ribbon, ornaments and candles. The first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared in 1882. Mistletoe, representing the goddess of love (Frigga - Scandinavian), was used as a decoration in houses for thousands of years and is also associated with many pagan rituals.

The 12 days of Chistmas are the ones that separate Christmas day (December 25) from Epiphany celebrated on January 6, marking Christ’s baptism (the Catholic tradition) or the day when the wise men visited baby Jesus with their gifts. This includes great fanfare and singing. The Anglo-Saxon tradition revolved around gathering together for small, serene choirs on the scenic village green lawns to sing carols and popular Christmas songs that would entertain and please the passers-by.

This joyous festival truly enlivens our hearts with warm revelry that extends well into the new year! Gift your near and dear ones, the little children, your friends and colleagues to spread the joy of Christmas.

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Unique and even ubiquitous stationery sets can make a nice gift to give simply because they are useful, highly functional and on top of that, they are not too expensive. They usually come with nice corresponding envelopes and other assortments for official or personal interaction such as sealing wax, stickers and pens or coloring markers. Here are some pertinent things to consider before you decide to give a stationery set:

• What is the style quotient of the person? For instance, is your gift recipient a female and will prefer more feminine styles? Or is it for someone who wants everything sleek and contemporary? Some people might be hesitant to use stationery that does not fit their personality so it is important to select stationary set that is appropriate for the recipient.

• Also, think of your budget. You could probably find expensive paper lined with gold leaf and costly golden-embossed or encrusted pens, but really, in the end, it’s just pens and paper.

• Paper quality is also an important factor. Most stationery sets will probably have good quality paper. However, you want to ensure that it does not comprise flimsy or very thin paper, which can be difficult to write on and looks cheap.

Finally, a nice touch could be added with personalized and monogrammed stationery. Have the recipient’s name or initials printed in fancy fonts on top of each sheet of paper or on pre-printed envelopes, making it a very personal and unique gift. Monogramming can add a classy touch to even a commonplace item. A thoughtfully selected stationery set can be a pleasure to receive.

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