Christmas 2023 #2

[Meg78]

You guys have reminded me of the time I handmade a food hamper for my sibling and they sneered and threw it in the outside bin the same day that same person would buy me things I was allergic to each year, or exclude my partner completely. We’re now estranged and whenever I catch myself feeling sad about our children never knowing each other and all those years wasted I remind myself of moments like this where they showed me what really mattered to them.

Gift to people who will appreciate it, through love not obligation. If anyone feels like a chore or likewise you dread receiving, ask to cease gifting to each other, it’s far kinder than watching disappointment in real time.

 

[SpaceshipEarth]

I made such an effort one year in making my grandma a lovely hamper and she didn’t appreciate it at all she was like “why have you got me this? I can buy my own biscuits you know”

This reminds me of the year my husband and I got a set of 3 cake tins for each of our family and filled the bottom one with a homemade and iced Christmas cake. In the middle was homemade mince pies and brownies and in the top was candied nuts, sweets and peppermint bark, all homemade. Took us hours and hours, so much stress and hard work and money because all the ingredients plus the tins were so expensive. We were so excited to give them to our family. My sister said "I hate Christmas cake, i won't eat that" and everyone else was just completely underwhelmed by it. We were so upset and vowed never again to bother to make that much effort Still, if you have an appreciative family it might be a good idea!

 

[ChubClubThug]

There's a lot of ungrateful gits that will be getting a lump of coal this year by the sounds of it

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

This reminds me of the year my husband and I got a set of 3 cake tins for each of our family and filled the bottom one with a homemade and iced Christmas cake. In the middle was homemade mince pies and brownies and in the top was candied nuts, sweets and peppermint bark, all homemade. Took us hours and hours, so much stress and hard work and money because all the ingredients plus the tins were so expensive. We were so excited to give them to our family. My sister said "I hate Christmas cake, i won't eat that" and everyone else was just completely underwhelmed by it. We were so upset and vowed never again to bother to make that much effort Still, if you have an appreciative family it might be a good idea!

Prime example of nobody can deflate you as quick as family.

 

[Em_]

It's funny how influencers call us trolls and say this website is evil and look at us all discussing how we can help others.

 

[calmyourritas]

I bought a tub of Heroes and already ate them all 🫠🫠🫠

 

[Meg78]

Well I’ve actually just teared up at the idea that children are asking the public for stationary or underwear for Christmas if anyone wonders who the woman weeping in Dunelm is tomorrow it’s just me picking up half a dozen tags, I mentioned it to my husband and he’s in agreement, we’d rather use our budget for this than extravagant gifts for each other

 

[Magee]

Prime example of nobody can deflate you as quick as family.

Honestly, this! Last year I managed to get Peter Kay tickets for my parents and the first thing out of my dads mouth was moaning about driving to the nearest city to see him. I didn’t get a thank you. They were way over my usual budget but we lost my grandad last year and thought we could do with a laugh and something to look forward to. I won’t bother going above my limit in future. Could have been the grief, but always a bummer when you go above your usual effort or budget and it falls flat. Back to Toblerone this year!!

 

[calmyourritas]

I made such an effort one year in making my grandma a lovely hamper and she didn’t appreciate it at all she was like “why have you got me this? I can buy my own biscuits you know”

 

[ChubClubThug]

Tips for difficult to buy for males:

I have a very awkward FIL and Father who have absolutely everything on the planet you could think of. So what I've started to do is make them my own M&S hampers. Large hamper basket kit from The Works or Wilkos etc. For about £4-£5.00. Then I set myself a budget (for me personally I spend about £60.00 on each of them) and then fill it with lots of treats and goodies. As they are food items, you can build them up through the year. Doing it yourself you can fit in twice the products that you get in the ready made ones. If you're not very good with the cellophane, just put a layer of wrapping paper around the basket and a bow. It still looks so nice.

They have both been more enthusiastic about these hampers than anything else I've bought them over the years. They both love it because they pick bits out of it as and when.

I've included things in the past like: red wine, gin in a can, nuts, tea bags, posh crackers, florentines, posh soup, pickles, crisps, whiskey liqueurs, cheddar biscuits, cherry brandy chocs, biscuits, percy pig, cigars, socks, a wallet, toffees, Xmas cake slices etc. It looks so expensive when it's all put together

 

[Pesky Tarian]

That's a great idea. I can get little boxes with a small gift, with the voucher inside too, rather than just hand them a card. Got me thinking how I can decorate them now

I do a box based on the colour of the voucher. So if the gift card is purple, I do purple tissue paper, handful of the purple quality street, a purple bath bomb etc. People seem to like that .

 

[princessmaire80]

I love this thread!!!
I’ve started my shopping. I’ve bought loads off Vinted- BNWT pjs for mum and sister, 2 Boss polo shirts, a pair of Abercrombie and Fitch jeans, a pair of Jack Wills jeans and a box of brand new Boss boxers for OH. I’ve saved a fortune.
I’m going to hit Boots in Liverpool when I’m away on Monday, and then no more until December when I do the Irish food run

I’m actually getting on a plane to Dublin and going to Tesco on O’Connell Street. A flight from Heathrow to Dublin with BA and so a generous luggage allowance, is actually costing less than it would to import the stuff I want. OH was brought up by his grandparents, and his grandad was Irish. So OH will only drink Bewley’s tea. This is a pain as this stuff is expensive to import from Ireland! I’m doing a big Irish food hamper for him, and Irish tea and coffee for his dad (we’re doing him a sugar free hamper as he’s insulin dependent diabetic) and a hamper for my good friend who is also Irish. And the one good thing about Brexit is… duty free now as I’m travelling to the EU!!! So there’s also the opportunity to buy alcohol and various smelly stuff there. Sorted

ps I’m listening to Heart Xmas too!!

 

[Mollywobbles]

Tips I used for years…
- wrap all place mats in gold or silver paper for a fancy look, especially if you have a lot that don’t match
- buy cheap wine glasses ( supermarket value ones). Then with a gold pen, write each person’s name and a few stars, etc, and Xmas 2023. That’s their glass for the day. And they take it home with them. Cheap, no washing up, saves smashing your good ones.
- foil dishes are your friend. Not just for cooking but to put on the table with all the veg, etc.
- chocolate decorations for tree and expensive. Buy a small box of quality street and use thread to tie them on. The ones that you cannot tie, like the green triangles, are yours as a reward.

 

[ChubClubThug]

For the cat owners

 

[lozzapaloozza]

I made my dad a birthday hamper one year and a Christmas hamper the year after - he loved them so much and would send me photos of him eating or using what I put in it 🥹

 

[Silverback]

Decapitated polar bears, anyone?

 

[EnoughAlready]

Lads it's 100 days to the big day!! 🧑🏻‍ Coincidentally i'm on my way to B&M and lord help my bank account if they've decked their halls (shelves)!

 

[AllTheBest2022]

Me and my boyfriend struggle to save money in the bank account as it's easy to 'dip' into it. So what we do instead is get one of these tins that need to be opened with a can opener. Anything 50p and above gets put in and every now and then we'll draw out some cash to put in. Been doing it for about 2 months now and I'd say there is around £800 in there. If anyone is like us and struggles these are great. We open it at the start of December and do our Christmas gift/food shop with it.

 

[EnoughAlready]

My Christmas bunker cupboard is a-go! (The one i hide everything in, and buy extras like bread sauce, mint jelly and cranberry sauce, and put the Pringles in and then have to replace the Pringles when i think sod it and pop open 5 tubs of them during various weeks of Strictly!) Also looks like i've been influenced by this thread on the M&S front!

 

[ems1982]

To whoever posted the TikTok of the M&S Christmas treats……..thanks a lot, look what you’ve done