For those who were not inspired by my post of yesterday, maybe today you’ll have more luck?

I know it is not easy to find suitable presents for everybody… you always need to keep in mind which budget you want to spend….On top of that you also have to find the time to buy all your gifts.

I already started my Christmas shopping because the rush has not started yet 🙂

If you don’t feel like shopping the regular way, there is always the possibility to use eBay for example. You would really be surprised how many beauties you can find here. Cookbooks, Wine, Cookware, etc…  eBay also uses Paypal to ensure that you can safely shop on eBay!

The infographic below illustrates the most important conclusions of a yearly survey conducted by eBay on Christmas trends. 1 out of 5 Belgians will do their Christmas shopping online and this will not only happen on their computer. Smartphones and tablets are becoming more popular devices for online shopping. Did you also know that 1 out of 4 Belgians receive unwanted gifts and that 39% of them decide to keep it… Let’s try to avoid this and choose the right gift for our loved ones!

Something that I don’t mind receiving and/or giving are food & drinks.  I know, there’s a lot out there….

Christmas is also about giving something special (to me it is). Something that fits right in that criteria is for example a bottle of Duvel Tripel Hop. Tripel Hop is a special beer made by Duvel Brewery made out of 3 high quality kinds of hop and is a real pleasure to drink!! But you’ll have be quick to buy some as the production of this beer is limited and doesn’t get made a lot (last time was in 2007). Or maybe you could go for the De Konick Cuvée Modeste?  This is again a limited edition, but this time by the Brewery that is actually located right in the center of Antwerp. One thing is for sure, you’ll have to be quick!

Another great gastronomical present for Italy lovers would be an assortment of sauces or wines from Fattoria la Vialla. Olive oil, fresh pasta sauces, tapenades, fresh pasta, wine, honey, etc… The famiglia La Franco makes it all. And may I add that all the products they make are very good. I’ve already tasted some of their sauces: the peperonata, Melanzane alle parmigiana, pesto and napolitana. I also had some of their fresh pasta and Olive oil… eating their products is like being in Italy. The olive oil is a bit more spicy. FYI softer olive oils in Italy are from the region around the Garda lake and Imperia (around San Remo). The more you go south, the spicier and stronger the oils get. The wine I cannot judge, as I didn’t try it yet… but rumors say that they have some nice Chianti wine. If you would try it, let me know. BTW, the delivery fee is free!

You can either choose yourself for an assortment or you can buy one of the prepared baskets.

The thing about this kind of present, you’ll also be able to enjoy it 🙂

If you want to buy some Wine, Whiskey, Porto, etc.. but prefer tasting it before buying it to give it as a present,  I would advise you to make a little trip to Herentals (sorry for all the foreign followers, but I’m sure you’ll have a shop like this in your city).  As in Herentals you can find Van Eccelpoel, but again, I’m sure you’ve read all about them in one of previous blogposts. I’m sure the Van Eccelpoel team will be able to guide you to find the best gift assortment.

Still didn’t find something… don’t worry I’m not done yet 🙂

Stay tuned.