Christmas Gifts

[SlugLobber]

Will have a think for ideas, but you have my 'First Love' as your avatar!!! Gosh, he's one sexy frog!

I'm doing some home-made stuff and also making donations to charities on people's behalves. OH got a greyhound last year and two years ago I divided a shelter dog between 7 people! Cheaper for you, more worthwhile for the dog and no-one has to pretend to like their pressie (and if they look ungrateful, you can slap 'em for being mean-spirited!).

[Bephlam]

I'm cancelling Christmas this year!!...lots of fun, and family time...but not much being spent on Christmas. Just can't afford it this year!!!

[happybunny]

Will have a think for ideas, but you have my 'First Love' as your avatar!!! Gosh, he's one sexy frog!

yeah, Kermit - We love you!!! Not that keen on miss piggy and I LOVE ELMO

[Marthaclematis]

HappyBunnny and SlugLobber... are you secretly members of my family? "a toffee hammer" Wot on earth is that? A share in a dog? Good Lord. See, this is exactly the sort of stuff I'm talking about.

HappyB - take my advice. Get your mother some M&S knickers. Its wot she wants really.... ;-)

[Marthaclematis]

Ow!!! SlugLobber - that hurt!

[happybunny]

HappyBunnny and SlugLobber... "a toffee hammer" Wot on earth is that?

A toffee hammer is a wee hammer that comes with a block of toffee and you use it to knock bits of toffee off

[smallblueplanet]

...Wot on earth is that? A share in a dog? Good Lord. See, this is exactly the sort of stuff I'm talking about.

But that's exactly what you're talking about - useful gifts, wanted gifts...charity gifts are an excellent choice as a main gift or a stocking filler.

Last year I got a virtual nest home for a bearded tit from the RSPB.



How cool is that!?

Virtual gifts

[Rhona]

I'll have a think and PM you HappyBunny for 'family' pressie ideas, but otherwise, have you ever used Fimo? A young relly of mine had no money one Christmas, and so made little models of each person for a gift. It was absolutely brilliant and one of the nicest things to receive. Mine had a lovely swirly dress on and lovely little details that made it really special!

You can buy a mixed pack of Fimo in loads of places, and a little goes a long way!

[Marthaclematis]

DH 'bought' me an acre of rainforest one year, in Belize I think. That went down a treat. I've got the certificate somewhere. Must go find it, claim my land and build a hotel.... he said that wasn't quite the idea.

The Royals buy each other daft and useless presents at Christmas - because they're so rich and they truly have everything. Princess Di was most embarrassed one year after she had taken great care to purchase cashmere shawls and expensive ointments and the like for 'The Firm' ... come Christmas Eve (they're German) she was agast to see everyone else had got each other joke presents and trinkets (possibly half an acre of rainforest). No one had told her poor girl.

I am not Royal or rich and neither are my friends and family. I'd rather people didn't waste their money on things which I find neither tastefull nor usefull.

M&S wash beautifully and last for years!!

[Marthaclematis]

Then again, as most of the stuff we get ends up in the Charity shop come June I suppose that their presents aren't useless after all, though if they'd just given the money direct they would have raised more. I do try to keep things in the original packaging so they fetch a better price. I'm glad I didn't inflict those tea lights on a poor suspect though; we lit two as we had friends to dinner and I'm not kidding - black smoke!! Rancid it was.

[smallblueplanet]

..I'd rather people didn't waste their money on things which I find neither tastefull nor usefull.

I guess that's where the point is - things you have no use for, others are more than grateful to receive!

[Marthaclematis]

Basically, if you want to donate to charity then do so.... but to do that and then call it MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT !!???

Its just not on.

Our friend PJ deliberately does not give presents to his rather spoilt niece and nephew and he gives money to charity instead. But he doesn't try and pretend that THEY have given the money - that would be patronising and they wouldn't thank him for it. No, he says "I'm giving to Charity with the money I would have spent on your Christmas presents". There's a difference. They're not expected to be grateful. And they don't have to pretend they are. Because being aged 13 and 16 they most certainly are not!

[smallblueplanet]

Basically, if you want to donate to charity then do so.... but to do that and then call it MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT !!???

Its just not on.

Fine. You were the one going on about getting stuff you didn't want, wasting money. So why don't you just ask to be given a charity gift? It's not that difficult to do.

[HeyWayne]

LadyWayne loves elephants, but I can't afford a real one, so I sponsored one for her as a present once. She loved it.

[lynda66]

last xmas sons g/f made her 2 friends a pig and a killer whale from a balloon and papier mache ..... i think this year, i may make OH a tabby cat