Christmas gifts, what do you buy ?

hollydolly

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Location
London England
Don't all hate me for mentioning the C word... I know a lot of you haven't celebrated Thanksgiving yet, which I'm led to believe that for Americans it's a bigger holiday than Christmas.. ... but Christmas is next month and the biggest holiday of the year for the rest of the western world.... so thinking caps have to go on...so don't fight me here..:D

Now I don't get any Christmas gifts any more.. and my daughter is now the only one I buy for. Since she's been back in the uK this last 2 years, she's said that she doesn't need any gifts... unless it was something like a new car or house.. ( she's joking)... but I like to give gifts.. she's my daughter, she's a hard worker.. and I want to give her something.

The last 2 years I've given her money and also paid for our Christmas festive dinner at a restaurant.. .. but this year I've been racking my brains as to what to give her as well as Dinner.... and it came to me tonight after she rung..

We were talking about how much everything has risen in price in the way of food and drink and particularly at restaurants... and she mentioned that she's very sad that she can no longer afford to buy her beloved Coffee from Costa on a regular basis due to the high cost now.. she's had to cut that back severely...

I know how much she loves her take-away coffee.. so I'm going to buy her a Costa Prepaid card.. ..and I know she will really appreciate that...



...so your turn... what if anything do you buy and who for....
 

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See.. my daughter came to the conclusion..and she's ruihgt.. that if we bought gift cards for each other it would be self cancelling.. so she ( she ) decided that we should no longer buy each other anything. I miss that because I love Christmas and I love giving and receiving gifts.

So..I no longer buy her a gift.. I used to buy her flights to the UK to be used the following year ... but even tho' I won't get a gift.. I still would like to buy her something.. and the costa card is the ideal thing.. because it;s something she will love to have despite her ''no gifts'' rule..(y)
 
The only person I purchase gifts for is my husband. The rest of the family get either Christmas decorated gingerbreads, a carved Christmas tree ornament or a Christmas card in a frame , painted by me. For bigger gifts to our vets etc… I’d make a Christmas ornament out of pine branches, Douglas fir, berries, cones, birch stems, etc stuck in that green stuff shaped into a square which absorbs water.
 
Perhaps many would say "sadly" ... Christmas is just another day to me. Albeit an unusually quiet day.
And I love it that way.
Never married, have no children and spent far far too many holidays away in the military for years and years.

I used to exchange gifts with my mom and my sister. Both gone now.

So my shopping is done already and I bought absolutely zilch :ROFLMAO:
... I never put up any decoration either. Lifestyle is entirely a stress free holiday.

That said, I have fond wonderful memories of family Christmases long long ago.
Weird thing though, traditionally if I was going to get sick, it was around the holidays.
 
So my shopping is done already and I bought absolutely zilch :ROFLMAO:
... I never put up any decoration either. Lifestyle is entirely a stress free holiday.
Haven't you ever celebrated with Mason? A special meal that he can share... or at least a couple of gifts for a special doggie? Do you not play Christmas music? I've heard of dogs barking Jingle Bells... teach him? 🎶🐶 If none of this, we're going to have to have a talk! 😁 Sorry, I wait a whole year long for Christmas and love every part of it. @Naturally
 
Haven't you ever celebrated with Mason? A special meal that he can share... or at least a couple of gifts for a special doggie? Do you not play Christmas music? I've heard of dogs barking Jingle Bells... teach him? 🎶🐶 If none of this, we're going to have to have a talk! 😁 Sorry, I wait a whole year long for Christmas and love every part of it. @Naturally

HA :ROFLMAO: !!! ... Yes Kate, Mason gets a special day LOL ... but no barking Jingle Bells :ROFLMAO:
I do enjoy the old traditional Christmas songs, mostly not any new fangled entertainers, and choir specials on TV.
Oh and I always get something for myself for Christmas ... but kinda sorta hard to keep it a secret ;)

While in the military one of the best Christmases happened to be during a visit to Vancouver British Columbia.
I went to a theater and saw the Nutcracker. Nice. Vancouver also has Christmas On The River boat parade at night which was quite colorful and Christmasy.

Merry Christmas Kate !!! :cool:
 
I've been very much into giving gift cards for years now... they can be gotten for *anything* at all. I've done newspaper subscriptions, meal delivery services, online shopping places, grocery stores. I don't know about anyone else, but if someone's going to give me $100 worth of free groceries, it's going to be a favorite gift!
 
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I buy for close family, but almost entirely consumables. For example, Burt's Bees lip balm for the gals. Maybe a couple of 'fridge magnets themed for a hobby or some childhood memory. One year when Sriracha was still largely unknown I gave good-sized bottles of that Rooster Sauce. A bit of this or that for the kids, SOs, ex-wife and her husband. Kids get cash as well.

Young Grandchild now, and that's always a tough call somehow. He gets enough crap as it is so I struggle for something there.
 
Only have my son and his family. I just give them cash. They can use for something they need. Most often they save it for weekend trips or special events they want to go to.
yes that's probably the best thing when they're grown because they know what they need or want.

In my daughters' case she has most everything she could want or need that would be affordable for me to buy.. so it became self cancelling..I gave her a sum of money she'd give me the same back...

I would prefer to have the gift regardless of how small.. and tbh sometimes she does buy a gift.. but I don't expect one...

So now I try and think of things out of the box as a surprise, because she'll be thinking she won't get a gift.. which wouldn't bother her at all.. but I just can't not buy her something..
 
@hollydolly, all we want as Mom's is to make them happy and do what we can. I sat down with them a couple of years ago and told them I would have to cut back expenses so they don't get what they used to.

If I was rolling dough I would love to send them on a wonderful trip to Disney. We took my son when he was four. It was so much fun just watching his little face of wonder and joy. I would love for my grandson to experience the magic.

For my DIL, I wish I could afford to buy her a corgi puppy. Trust me I checked and they are very expensive.

These days I just try to help with groceries when I can. They are going thru some changes at the moment, a change in her job. The salon where she works closed. She has to find a new place and hope that her clients follow her. She is a color specialist so I think they will.
 
Oh yes I know how much dogs cost, my daughter owned Boarding kennels.. and she had 7 dogs of her own. The labradoodles alone cost her £1600 each and that was 17 years ago... prices for everything are through the roof...

You just have to be thankful that you managed to give your son gifts and trips other children never had.. and now it's his turn to do that for his own children...

helping people with groceries who are on a strict budget, is a very loving thing to do.. what one of us wouldn't have been thankful for that when we were young mums ?
 
My family has shrunk to husband, son, brother and sister-in-law. We quit exchanging with my brother and his wife when they moved too far away to come for Christmas so it's just the three of us.

We all like books, CD's and DVD's and we can tell what someone likes by Amazon's suggestions and what the others have just looked at. My husband likes food gifts, fine chocolates, caramel corn, etc. I also use Christmas as an excuse to buy them things they don't want, but I think they should have -- like new socks. Heh.

{It's never too soon for Christmas, Holly! I tend to skip right over Thanksgiving, I'm not about to decorate with orange when I can go right into my favorite red and green, bright lights, Christmas cheer.}
 
Now I don't get any Christmas gifts any more.. and my daughter is now the only one I buy for. Since she's been back in the uK this last 2 years, she's said that she doesn't need any gifts... unless it was something like a new car or house.. ( she's joking)... but I like to give gifts.. she's my daughter, she's a hard worker.. and I want to give her something.

The last 2 years I've given her money and also paid for our Christmas festive dinner at a restaurant.. .. but this year I've been racking my brains as to what to give her as well as Dinner.... and it came to me tonight after she rung.
My wife is the only one that I give gifts to at Christmas. The retail trade and others with a vested interest, all like to tell us that giving money is vulgar/insensitive/unimaginative (take your pick.) The lady will get flowers, Bailey's liqueur, tickets for a New Year's Eve Gala Dinner Dance, and a wad of the filthy folding stuff that is so unimaginative, vulgar and insensitive. I do much the same on her birthday.
 
I am trying to get gifts for the grandkids that come on Thanksgiving. I got a Ravensburg 1000 pc puzzle for one.
One is getting a nice paint by number set with a cat, butterfly, and horses. The paint glows in the dark.
The baby will get some type of wooden set. A train or truck with parts.
I'm waiting on their parents because they will be moving and will need things.

I wish I was clever with gifts. My DIL has that knack for giving nice gifts. It can be socks but she will get socks you love and use.
Last year she gave me a large canvas tote bag with light leather type handles. It has a gold design on the side with my initial. I love it. I used it traveling and I'm sure I'll use it for years. I think nice cloth type bags or containers are nice because there's always a use for them.
 
I don't buy anyone presents anymore. Christmas is just another day. The most I do is give cards to the people who live here. Maybe I will put a wreath on the door. I have boxes of decorations but plan on getting rid of them soon.
If it wasn't for my daughter..I'd be the same, not buying for anyone... :D
 


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