A cash-strapped mum who appealed online for unwanted presents for her son's sixth birthday has been inundated with gifts from her local community.
Brooke Webb, from Crawley, posted on a local Facebook page about the difficult time her family was going through financially due to the pandemic.
She said she "felt like the worst parent in the world" for not being able to afford presents for her son Brody.
Kind-hearted locals have given toys, a cake, balloons and football tickets.
The mum-of-two told BBC South East Today she felt compelled to post the appeal on the Spotted Crawley Facebook group because she was "losing sleep" with worry.
'Starting to panic'
"I felt sick that I didn't have any spare money to buy my son anything for his birthday," she said.
Her post read: "Myself and my husband have both been put on reduced hours at work. And with furlough coming to an end we are looking at a big pay cut.
"We have been barely getting through the months as it is and now I'm starting to panic.
"It's my son's sixth birthday in a few weeks time and we now can not afford to buy him any gifts. I feel like the worst parent in the world."
She asked for "age-related unwanted gifts to India online", offering to "pay a small price" but had not expected the response.
"It's been amazing," she said.
Cake maker Lauraine Smart has provided a cake for Brody's special day.
She said: "The thought of having a little one disappointed on their birthday, it's not a nice feeling.
"If you can just make something as simple as a cake and make him smile, then that makes me feel good."
Ms Webb said: "It was quite hard for me to come forward and ask pretty much strangers in the community if they would help my son but they did and I'm so grateful."
A gift is something that carries values. A person who receives gifts become the happiest person, and if the sender of the gift is a sweet special person in the receiver’s life then it becomes even more special for the sender.
Why Gifts are so special?
Gifts are special becomes it helps to make the day more worth living in one’s life. Some people buy gifts as per the choice of whom will receive it and the others buy it as per their taste. When you buy gifts for your special ones you tend to buy the best for them because you know them so deeply that you put all of your efforts into buying gifts for them. You always crave to buy unique gifts for your special ones.
As per astrology, a drip coffee maker is the most valuable best gift for him and online gifts for her a person whose zodiac sign is Aries. You can gift delivery online them a drip coffee maker if you do believe in astrology. It will help them extract some good coffee for themselves on a bright Sunday morning and keep them rejuvenated.
Taurus
Beautiful Passport Cover
It is believed that taurians are a purse and pouch lover. They love to collect a variety of purses and take a different clutch every day. If you gift them a passport cover; it will surely attract them and make them happy.
Gemini
Love Books
It is believed that Gemini people are those who just love to read love books. They love to make a collection of books of love and all other genres in their bookshelves. So it is proved to be a really good gift for birthday online for Gemini people.
Cancer
Sunglasses
Sunglasses is something which the people of the zodiac sign ‘Cancer’ adore the most. They love to wear different varieties of sunglasses every time. And it is the best gift to India online delivery give them.
Leo
Watches
As we are talking about gifts associated with different zodiac signs; we found out that gifting watches whether it’s a clock watch or wristwatch is the best birthday gifts online for people of Leo zodiac sign according to astrology.
Virgo
Perfumes
Virgo people just love sweet smells. It is the best option to gift perfumes of good quality to them as their zodiac sign suggests that perfumes are best as per astrology.
Libra
Makeup Kit
Libra people just love to be stylish and classy. Thus, online gifting sites in India them a makeup kit is of utmost use for them. Try gifting makeup kit for girls and lotions and other toiletries for boys. They will really like it.
Scorpio
Zodiac Sign Necklace
Many people already prefer to wear a zodiac sign necklace. They believe in astrology. It brings prosperity and happiness to their ways. Thus, gifting them a zodiac sign necklace or any other neckpiece would be good for them as per their zodiac sign.
Sagittarius
Water Bottles
Sagittarians prefer to be hydrated all day long whether they are at the office or at home they keep on drinking water. So, as we are writing an article on zodiac sign best birthday gift ideas online; it would be very good if you could best birthday gifts online them a stylish water bottle which is really useful for them.
Capricorn
Business Card Case
Capricornians are the ones who are really very dedicated towards their work and so they prefer to keep their desk organized and clean. You can best gift for birthday online delivery them a business card case or you can order a customized business card case which would really excite them and it is a very perfect gift idea as per their zodiac sign.
Aquarius
Yoga Mat
Aquarians are the ones who really like to keep themselves healthy and happy. They do exercise, yoga which always keeps happy and rejuvenated. You can gift a birthday gift delivery them a yoga mat which they would really like and it is the best gift idea as per their zodiac sign.
Pisces
Footwears
Pisces people just love a different collection of footwear. They love to buy new footwear occasionally. Thus, they would really like if you buy them a pair of their favorite brand shoes which will prove to be a very perfect birthday gift idea as per their zodiac sign.
Toys are as essential to Christmas, as much as Santa and his big, white beard. So, get your thinking caps on, people… It’s time to find the top toys for Christmas.
We’ve searched through the 2020 archives to uncover all the latest must have toys for this Christmas, ranging from the cheap and cheerful, to the spectacular!
Hasbro
Whether you’re looking for Christmas toys for kids or even for those big kids, there’s a little bit of something for everyone.
Have a look, and try to resist buying them all if you can — we know it’s hard…
Cheap toys for Christmas are a dime a dozen nowadays, but when you find one that’s good, it can be – for a lack of a better word – a Christmas miracle.
Firmly planting itself in the outdoor Christmas toys category, we present Frisbee Mini Golf: the perfect Christmas gift for those looking to have a bit of fun.
This is ideal for people with some garden space, meaning that you can enjoy it without having to trek to the park – weather dependent, of course!
And you can shrug off the Christmas spirit for a couple of hours while the kids (and even the adults, if you want) get their game face on!
Everybody loves Star Wars. In fact, we’re convinced that anyone who says they don’t like Star Wars still, secretly, likes Star Wars… It’s human nature, people – embrace it.
And with that in mind, this Christmas toy is, fittingly, one of Star Wars’ most beloved characters: the crossbow-shooting furball himself, Chewbacca.
Presented as a plush, this soft toy won’t break, so don’t worry about having to deal with tears and disappointment – he’s huggable and everything!
And, even cooler than that, he has his trademark Wookie growl. As the name would imply, he is very much a Talking Chewbacca.
Oh, and did we mention that batteries are included? Cheers, Santa!
Take to the skies with this Hot Wheels Racing Drone, a Christmas toy that does a lot more than look pretty – though it does look stunning in the air, if we say so ourselves.
Fitted with multiple speed settings, this drone is made for use indoors and out, so you won’t have to leave the comfort of your home.
And with crash-resistant guards, the chances of a breakage are, shall we say, minimal.
As opposed to a high-end drone, this a more-than-serviceable alternative and is, without a doubt, a Christmas must-have toy.
From a flying drone to a flying owl, this Harry Potter Hedwig toy may not make it airborne, but she sure packs a magical punch.
With in-built sound sensors, Hedwig is in tune with all the goings on of the environment. And she will respond accordingly, turning her head 180 degrees and making 12 different bird sounds.
This the perfect gift for a Harry Potter fan and, even more so, one of the top ten Christmas toys of 2020.
Get ready to walk the plank and dive into an ocean infested with… Christmas toys.
That’s right, courtesy of Playmobil, we present the Skull Pirate Ship, allowing the lucky recipient to immerse themselves in a world of plunder, prizes, and adventure!
And, as if this wasn’t already one of the best Christmas toys for kids, it floats! No, you didn’t hear us wrong; it’s actually buoyant.
So, don’t worry if the kids (or even the adults) get a little too excited and try it out in the bath – it’s a sea dweller through and through!
Of all the toys out there for this Christmas, this one is… “inevitable”.
Yeah, we like to quote Thanos a little too much. But, hey, don’t tell us everyone won’t be shooting Marvel quotes left, right, and centre when they slip into this Replica Thanos Infinity Gauntlet.
It is “inevitable”…
Ok, we’ll stop now. But just know that this is the best Christmas gift for a Marvel fan, equipped with glowing Infinity Stones and featuring a locking mechanism for display purposes, too.
When you think about the history of birthday celebrations there are so many questions. From cakes and candles to presents and parties, so many things make up great birthdays. We’ve gathered the answers and the origins of the questions that you guys ask the most, and popped them all in one place for you.
The History of Birthdays
Birthdays started around 3,000 years before the common era, conceptualised by our good old friends the Egyptians. But not necessarily in the sense that we celebrate them today. Despite the clues in the name, you know, birth-day, day of birth, this isn’t what the Egyptians actually celebrated. When you boil it back down to the origins of birthdays, they were actually celebrating the birth of someone as a god.
“What’s that?” I hear you ask. What is birthday-becoming-god-celebration and what does it have to do with the Egyptians? Well, when pharaohs were crowned, it was considered that they had become a god. For them, and to be fair, anyone, the day man becomes a god is waaaaay up there above being actually, physically born.
The History of Birthday Candles and the Origin of Birthday Cake
Ladies and gentlemen, and those yet to make up their minds, this one goes out to… the Greeks. Super-early days the Greeks adopted those Ancient Egyptian birthdays, celebrating the birth of a god, and as you may well remember from those primary-school-project days, Greek culture was pretty big on gods and goddesses.
Enter Artemis, the lunar goddess. The Greeks had a thing for offering sacrifices to the gods and as a tribute to Artemis, one of the best inventions ever came to be. The Greeks would offer her moon-shaped cakes. Cakes which were adorned with lit candles. This two-part symbolisation birthed the traditional confectionary we now adore. The glowing radiance of the new-found birthday cake recreated the beauty of the moon. The candles signifying the sending of prayers.
The History of Birthday Celebration
The History of Gift Giving and the Origins of Birthday Gifts
The Romans were among the first people to celebrate birthdays as we know them. That being, they are probably the most succinct answer to “Why do we celebrate birthdays?”. The Romans were the first to celebrate the birth of the common man. They did this with lavish parties where they would shower the birthday boy with gifts, thus starting the history of birthday presents.
Unfortunately, though, it was a very much literal interpretation. The common man. That’s right, I couldn’t have experienced these birthday celebrations, alas, I would have to wait until around the 12th Century to take part – some eleven-hundred-and-something years later.
The History of Birthday Parties
Why celebrate birthdays without cake? Parties and cake go hand in hand, and we did cover this briefly earlier, with the sacrifices to the moon goddess Artemis conceiving the idea of a birthday cake. However, that is indeed not a happy birthday cake as we know and love it today, and nor is it a gull birthday celebration. The growth and progression of the history of birthday cake online is what sparked the birthday party. That is, well, a Kinder Surprise.
That’s right folks, German bakers pretty much revamped the best birthday cake online delivery to become the icing-topped-colourful-glory that we celebrate with today. By now, birthdays are pretty commonplace, both for men and women, pretty much all around the world. German birthday parties were held for children from the late 18th century. These parties were called Kinderfeste and very closely resembled birthday parties as we know and love them today. Each child would be given a cake with a candle on the top for each year of their life so far, as well as one extra for hope.
Making Birthdays Modern
Well, it took quite a considerable amount of time to get birthdays from the original concept of ‘I’ve-been-crowned’ to the celebrations that we know and love today. However, we’ve really upped our game in recent years when it comes to bringing birthdays into the future. Make the next birthday celebration a special one with personalised birthday gift ideas.
The unique present can be made to give to any loved one of any age
A clever mum has shared a genius homemade gift idea she made to celebrate her husband's first Father's Day.
Jessica made an unfolding gift box that had a selection of confectionery, small birthday gifts and letters stuck to the sides.
Posting the idea to an Australian Facebook group, Jessica said she's 'guilty' of having too many Kmart delivery boxes lying around the house, so she decided to use them for her creative homemade project.
Jessica wrote 'happy first Father's Day' on the four sides of the box which can be read as the gift is opened and disassembled walls fall to the floor.
The present is a fantastic alternative idea to give to someone of any age and is a great way to give a personalised gift.
Scroll down for video
+4
A clever mum has shared a genius homemade gift idea she made to celebrate her husband's first Father's Day
+4
Jessica made an unfolding gift box that had a selection of confectionary sweets, lollies and letters stuck to the sides (pictured). To make the present, she used delivery boxes from Kmart
'I got this great gift idea from this group! My hubby's first Father's Day,' she said on Facebook.
'I may need some more boxes for future gifts (well that's my excuse anyway), back to online shopping.'
On each wall of the boxes, Jessica stuck Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Lindt, Skittles packets, m&m packets, Snickers, $50 cash, new phone chargers and assorted other gifts inside.
In the centre of the box was a personalised card that read 'Jada loves daddy this much' and had a photo at the bottom of a child with their arms wide open.