Not just stocking fillers from Sports Direct

This time of year all (or most) purchases are about Christmas right? The next few weeks we spend money, collect gifts and store them in the best hiding place we can find. The gifts range from huge things that we struggle to even get into the house to small stocking fillers. I've always struggled with stocking fillers, I mean, how much do you spend on a stocking filler? Do your kids even have stockings?




Stockings


Stockings have changed so much since I was young, I remember my stocking being one of my own long white socks and it was stuck to the end of my bed using a drawing pin. I distinctly remember the pin coming out of the bed one year and me standing on it. OUCH! 

My stocking would be filled with things to keep me occupied in the early hours of the morning so that I didn't wake my parents too early. I know this now because I'm a parent and have considered using similar tactics! At the time though I thought it was an amazing feat of Santa's to creep into my bedroom and fill my stocking with wonderful goodies.






  • Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection.

Pindar




The goodies I received back then were satsumas, raisins, and possibly a cheap toy to keep me occupied. There were no actual presents, just enough to make me happy but not quite enough to make me get my parents out of bed.

These days stockings are huge things, like Santa's suit they're red with white fluffy bits around the top, or you can buy personalised ones. They're much bigger than my one long white sock and can fit all kinds of things in them. 




Stocking fillers


Like I said, in the 80's (when I was a young girl) stocking fillers consisted of fruit, some sweets and maybe a few cheap toys if your parents could swing it. If I'm honest I'm not sure when the change happened but these days stocking fillers seem to be more about something special - much like the regular presents.






I've heard of people receiving a 3DS in their stocking or even a mobile phone which is crazy! To me a stocking filler will always be about the quick satisfaction of knowing that Santa has visited.

If a stocking filler costs more than a fiver then you've spent too much as far as I'm concerned. The stocking should be filled with small things, treats that don't cost much but show that Santa has sprinkled his magic.

Of course there are some things that cost less than £5 but are too big to fit in a stocking (unless you have a huge stocking!) and that's fine, it can still be a "stocking filler"

In my efforts to get a few bits and pieces for the boys' stockings this year I headed to the Sports Direct website where they have a fantastic range of toys and gifts for less than £5. I picked out a few things, some just a few pounds and some £5 but none more than £5. The selection of toys for less than £5 surprised me actually and I found it really easy to choose several toys for not only my boys but for my nieces and nephews too. 




Gifts


To be honest it wasn't until I was browsing the Sports Direct website that I realised how useful they are for Christmas gifts. I managed to add a one or two things to the list to buy at a future time and I even made a purchase I wasn't expecting to make.






The Hubby's favourite men's perfume of the moment is Jean Paul Gautier "Le Male" and I planned on buying it from either Amazon or The Perfume Shop. While I was browsing this perfume happened to come up in one of my searches and I was surprised at the price - £54.99. I was sure it was more than that when I'd checked.

Over the next few minutes I checked the other sites to make sure I wasn't imagining it and sure enough the gift set from Sports Direct was much cheaper than anywhere else I'd seen it. I made the purchase immediately!






I never expected to find any other gifts on the Sports Direct website but it turns out that they're quite useful. With a teenaged son who is rather awkward to buy for Sports Direct have lots of things I'll be purchasing, including trainers, and I'll be stopping by their website again when it comes to birthdays too. 




Cheap vs cheap


Okay, so the other thing I'd always presumed about Sports Direct is that their products were cheap but not cheap. Does that make sense?

I don't know what gave me the impression but I thought that the products bought from Sports Direct would cost as much as if you bought them from, say, Nike, but that the quality would be worse. I really don't know why I thought this and after my recent purchases I'm happy to say that I was wrong. 





  • Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. 

Charles M. Schulz





The quality of the products is as you would expect from any retailer. The perfume gift set I bought  has a full bottle of the perfume as well as the shower gel and cream and I have no doubt it's the real deal - I could smell it when I opened the box! 

Sports Direct is cheaper than other retailers for some products, like the men's perfume set, but the products are not cheap. 




A changed opinion


Products I have bought from Sports Direct recently have shown me that they're a great place to search for Christmas gifts, including stocking fillers. Their range of products for less than £5 is brilliant, there's something there for everyone, and their other gifts are great too.






I have no doubt I'll be going to the Sports Direct website again before Christmas!


This post is an entry for BritMums #sdfiverchallenge Christmas Challenge, sponsored by Sportsdirect.com.

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