Did you know that the 31st January is International Zebra Day?  It's a day that takes place every year to raise awareness of zebras, zebra conservation and how we can all help.  

When we think of African animals, zebras often don't come to the top of our minds - lions, giraffes, rhinos, elephants may well be first in our thoughts.  But the zebra is an animal with quite a character, and you don't have to go to Africa to meet one!

Fife Zoo in Scotland has a Meet and Feed the Zebras with Entry for Two experience, available from Virgin Experience Days.

Fife Zoo Meet and Feed The Zebras with Entry for Two
£80.00

You can meet the Grevy's Zebras, going behind the scnees to see their private bedrooms and find out how the keepers care for them.  The encounter includes the chance to feed them, too!

You'll also have a full day admission to the Zoo, to see the other resident animals, so you really can make a day of it!

Find out more here.

Please note that:

• Minimum age: 8 (all under 16's need to be accompanied by a participating adult aged 16 and over)
• There is no wheelchair access
• The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary

Can't get to Scotland?


How about this Hamleys® Mini Zebra instead?
from Hamleys for £11.00

One of my great pleasures in life is looking through the window and watching the birds in our garden feast and rest.

Every morning at the moment, we have a blackbird who hops around the garden before coming to tuck in to the berries on the pyracantha.  Ours is the Pyracantha Soleil d'Or  giving off a bright yellow colour and providing us with much joy, especially when the blackbird tucks in.  

Find out more about this Pyracantha Soleil d'Or 
from Thompson & Morgan here

So if you're trying to think what to get a nature lover for Christmas and they've got a garden, one thing you could give them is a pyracantha.  Then you've got a win-win - a win for your loved one and a win for garden birds!   Thompson & Morgan have several different colours to choose from, one of which is this lovely bright red one below:

This is the Pyracantha coccinea 'Red Column' Firethorn - 

We are training our pyracantha along a wooden fence, to encourage more birds to visit.  There's a bird bath by it as well so that they can both feed and drink, and it's kind of like their own restaurant, if you like! 

 
This is the Garden Life Wooden Insect Hotel
with lots of hollow tubes for insects to rest in.
Flutter away to find out more!



The RSPB has this Bird Bath, amongst others, in its range.
It's always important with any source of water for wildlife
to make sure that they can climb out, so sloping sides are a must. 
£25.00 from the RSPB Shop.

Give wildlife somewhere to rest and nest, to feed and drink, and they will come.  Britain's nature is in trouble so anything we can all do to help will be important.  Every action matters!  And supporting  nature and wildlife with your present buying is one way to help.

 
Why not give them a plant for pollinators such as bees and butterflies?
Take a look at the range with Thompson & Morgan here.

(And if you want to try growing some wildflowers yourself, 
there's advice and help here to get you started.

As you may know, there are thousands of experience days people can enjoy to get them out and about, from gift memberships to one-offs, from afternoon teas, to visits to attractions.

And there are also lots to give you the chance to try a new skill, or improve a skill, to try something new.  Photography, pottery, painting, singing, dancing, horse riding, flower arranging - they all give people the chance to give something a go!

Virgin Experience Days have a "Experiences to Enjoy At Home Collection" for £35.00.

For £35.00.
Find out more from Virgin Exprience Days

This means that your loved one can have an experience from the comfort and convenience of home!  There are over 20 to choose from within the collection such as languages, garden design, interior design, nutrition, mindfulness, gin tasting and writing.  

But there are lots of others you can also look at outside of the collection.  Called Stay at Home experiences, Virgin Experience Days lists nearly 300 of them.  Some are things to eat and/or drink, but others do give you the chance to learn something new or try something out.   

• There are subscriptions (book clubs, fitness, coffee, tea, cheese, knitting, gin, rum, Indian curry etc) 
• There are physical gifts (candle making gift kit, name a star, buy a piece of the moon, chocolate, wine, cheese, afternoon tea, hampers, making your own soap)
• At home date nights - everything you need for a romantic evening in, aaaahhh

And there are online experiences available through Virgin Experience Days, too, so that you can enjoy doing something from home and - in many cases - learn something new.

Click here to see the range of online experiences
from £18.99 from Virgin Experience Days

Looking for something a bit different?

Try Boostology!  They have a number of gifts designed and made by them, an eco-friendly range which includes handmade, vegan, plastic-free gifts and more!

They have eco-friendly oil diffusers, pure essential oils, wooden games and puzzles, recycled silver jewellery, natural bath, body and skincare, chocolate and sweet gifts and  aromatherapy jewellery!  

What’s more, they plant a tree for every order placed!  They make donations this way to Ecologi whose current project is in Madagascar.  Orders are delivered in plastic free parcels, too.

Here are some of their best sellers this Christmas:

Volcanic Potpourri 

It was £39, Now £29

Scent your room naturally with a Potpourri of beautiful black volcanic rocks.  Just add 6-10 drops of essential oil (included) to the stones; the porous Lava acts like a sponge, soaks up the oil and then slowly releases the lovely aroma into your room.   Find out more here

Premium Wooden Sudoku 


£19.00

Boost your brainpower with this cult classic puzzle.  All the plastic has gone!  Find out more here.

Deluxe Wooden Line Up 


£38.0

Better known as Connect Four or Four-In-A-Row, Boostology has got rid of all the plastic with this game.  Find out more here.

Recycled Silver Paper Plane Cufflinks 


£70.00

These cufflinks are made from recycled sterling silver, which reduces the need for energy intensive mining.  Find out more here

 Bonbonniere Luxe, With Christmas Coins


Was £39, now £24

This beautiful bonbonniere handmade is full of fairtrade chocolate treats and the bonbonniere also makes a stylish trinket or jewellery box, after you've eaten all the chocolate!

 Blue Lapis & Hamsa Diffuser Bracelet


£32.00

Give a handmade blue Lapis and Lava stone diffuser bracelet, to provide a little calm.  The gift box has a 2ml bottle of relaxing Lavender, Chamomile and Angelica essential oils. Dab essential oil onto the Lava stone - the natural Lava is porous, so it makes for a perfect personal diffuser!   Find out more here.

Visit Boostology to see more of their products - they are unusual!