SportsDirect £5 gift challenge

We don't often visit Sports Direct, as we don't have this store in town. Whenever there is an opportunity to have a peek, for example, when we go to Oxford or visit Penzance, we have a good browse inside and end up buying one item of sports clothing or another, mainly for my guys. Generally we find the prices to be very reasonable, and the range varied.

When BritMums have asked parenting bloggers to join in #sdfiverchallenge and find Christmas gifts for a fiver at SportsDirect online, I was curious to discover just how easy (or difficult) the task could be. I haven't shopped with them online before, so this was my first experience.
All participating bloggers received £30 credit to use, and the task was to pick at least two items for £5, spending the remaining balance as we like.

SportsDirect is well known for its sports range of clothing, trainers and accessories, but would we be able to find perfect stocking fillers for Christmas.
I had a good look at the selection of Christmas gifts and toys, and was surprised to see a big variety of items (Reindeer LED hat for £1.49 anyone?!).

As much as I was tempted by some novelty gifts, I decided to spend my £30 allowance on practical gifts for my family.

Eddie wanted me to buy him a football, but I pointed out to him that he has several footballs in the garden already.
Being a chocoholic, I was tempted to spend the whole lot on chocolate - and yes, I was surprised to find a reasonable choice of chocolate gifts in SportsDirect - from advent calendars to mug and chocolate bars sets.

Ordering online was an easy process, the only difficulty was to stay in the limits of my allowance and not overspend. I could have easily spent a double of that and more, as the selection of products was impressive.

My elder son Sash likes beanie hats, preferably in dark colours.
Rhino Rugby Beanie Hat costs £5 precisely. Acrylic, with fleece lining, it would do nicely for late autumn and winter.

The next gift was again for my him - a warm Lee C FZ Hoodie, which I have squirreled away until Christmas. It is very soft and comfy, and I imagine my son will be happy to wear it, as it is the sporty style that he favours.

Firetrap Pyre Scarf (Grey/Black) was a gift for my brother. My Mum stayed with us recently for several weeks, and I've been buying gifts for her to take back to my family in Russia.
A warm scarf is a must, and I hope my brother will enjoy wearing it.

Eddie is a big Marvel fan. Most of his clothes have characters from his favourite films and animation series. Batman is one of our biggest favourites, so I knew he'd be ecstatic with yet another Batman hat.

Character Flat Peak Junior Batman Hat  has an adjustable snapback fastening and integrated headband. It is made from polyester and cotton. If Batman leaves you cold, you can opt for Minions, a generic Marvel hat or Star Wars-themed one. It comes at a princely sum of £4. What a bargain!

I love hats, and couldn't resist treating myself to a new one.

Heatons Wool Flower Hat is a total steal at £5. I've been wearing it for the past week. It is stylish, soft and warm. Just the other day I've seen a very similar hat at Debenhams at around £20.
It is a mix of wool and polyester, and is styled with a trimmed detail with a flower motif.

Before the challenge I wouldn't have thought of SportsDirect as a shopping mecca for Christmas gifts, but we were pleasantly surprised.

So, what do you think of my haul? Did I spend my £30 wisely?

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


Disclosure: As mentioned above, we received £30 credit to spend online (including postage). All opinions are our own. The word sponsored above does not mean this is a paid for post.