What are you giving people for christmas

Latest Articles

What are you giving people for christmas

Downsizer Forum Index -> Recipes, Preserving, Homebrewing

Author

Message

snowball
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 6246
Location: swindon

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 10:47 am Post subject: What are you giving people for christmas
I just wondered what kind of presents people are going to buy. Are any of you planning hampers of your own endeavours? We are contemplating giving my out-laws our wine, sloe gin, smoked salmon etc.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 10:49 am Post subject:
We are cutting costs this year, having only one regular income at the moment. Most people will get a small bought present, plus some home-made fudge and onion marmalade.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 10:55 am Post subject:
I'd give bugger all if I had my way so I leave it to the missus.

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 11:07 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

We are cutting costs this year, having only one regular income at the moment. Most people will get a small bought present, plus some home-made fudge and onion marmalade.

onion marmalade recipe please!! .... pretty please.....

snowball
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 6246
Location: swindon

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 11:10 am Post subject:
Presumably, the onion marmalade does not include fudge

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 11:13 am Post subject:
Fudge and onion marmalade? Sounds interesting....................we know what you mean really.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 11:18 am Post subject:

Everyone over 70 is getting hampers, everyone under is getting worry wizards/sheep/pigs etc. This is becuase this year everything has to be easily postable and quick cos we are going away in two weeks. I have bought other things for special people, like a breadmaker for himselfs mum, and a chimenea for my dad. My mum and her partner have got mathching wind up torches and radios! - Oh and himselfs stepdad has got a pair of bellows for his woodburner, which is hard to light!

Practical - me!? Beats bath salts though!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 12:21 pm Post subject:
We're giving our lots of dried blewits, jam, wine, liquers, soap and hopefully chocolates. We haven't made the chocs yet, the rest just needs prettying up a bit.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 12:27 pm Post subject:

I haven't decided yet.

I did do a hamper once for my parents which I think went down OK, but most people we know don't necessarily appreciate (read: are suspicious of) home made stuff, which is sad.

The good news is my family is too numerous now to require presents - so it's just our respective parents - neither lot will say what they want, of course - and each other - I can't discuss that here cos you never know whose watching

He did make me some gorgeous cherry chocs last year.

Hint hint.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 12:43 pm Post subject:
I have an inclination to plant trees for most of mine. Anything I send is unappreciated, whether bought or handmade, and there are very rarely any thankyou letters either. At least this way, someone will benefit.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 12:53 pm Post subject:

Mrs L, have you seen the increasingly popular catalogues like "send a cow" and oxfam unwrapped - where you sponsor animals, farm tools etc etc for families in developing countries.

They also provide a certificate for you to send to recipients saying, I believe, something like "Dear So and So, I've bought you a dozen chickens for Christmas. They're living in xxxxx where they'll contribute to the independence of a family who will return the first offspring to the project to help another family".

It's a nice enough idea, I think.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 1:01 pm Post subject:

Yes, I've seen several of those, and have them in mind for birthdays next year.
I use the Woodland Trust for my tree planting - Christmas and when people die, which is a nice idea, and better than flowers in most ways.
I have also paid to sponsor an animal for a year from an animal sanctuary and a dolphin from the WDCS. Another idea is a year's membership of eg Friends of the Earth.
I've got to the stage now that I think even if people don't appreciate it, and would rather have had a "proper" present, at least your conscience is salved and someone else or the planet will benefit.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 3:00 pm Post subject:

This is our last year of bought presents (for my family) next year my mother and I have agreed to make everything. Hampers go down really well with grandparents, and if you sneak in your home made stuff into other people, they usually say how marvellous it is, and then they appreciate it (it helps with some people if they don't know you made it until afterwards!)

Most people do appreciate it, as long as it is good stuff, so I find it best to keep if simple. People who don't appreciate it, either get recycled gifts (they usually buy us rubbish to start with, so we rotate them) or get an equally thoughtless present, paid for by returning their thoughtless present. I often buy presents for children only (who love home made everything) and either don't do teenagers (incorporating them into a family present) or cop out and send vouchers (but only if I acually like them, and they apprciate it!)

At the moment we buy for himselfs family, and like it or not, I'm doing all my christmas shopping in oxfam next year - they have some fantastic gifts - or buying trees and so on. Someone might as well benefit from the wasted cash! I wish people would do it for us, instead of buying us another chocolate fondue set! I am planning to shamelessly return them all this year! One nameless person has bought us the relaxing classic FM album 3 years in a row!

bernie-woman

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7824
Location: shropshire

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 04 3:02 pm Post subject:

Sadly most of my presents this year are bought - just have not had the time to make anything (increased work hours - WHY???) not that many of my relatives would appreciate homemade stuff anyway. I have sponsored a donkey from Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary before for a present and it is a great present for anyone looking for ideas - I would happily go and spend xmas day with the donkeys if I could!!

Buying the OH a mandolin (musical not culinary for xmas)

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Recipes, Preserving, Homebrewing	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

View Latest Posts