Christmas presents

Oh dear I certainly hope you get some better this year. DH I have to say is very good at Christmas presents, he has a good eye for an unusual piece of jewellery and knows what I like in the perfume hall. He does do things a bit late and relies on Amazon a bit too much for my liking but as no parcels have arrived this year and I sent him off shopping a few weeks ago while I prowled round John Lewis. As for the other presents I do it all and my two daughters do all theirs for their husbands' families.

In our household, we provide lists with approximate prices. And you can either take from the list or give a surprise. It doesnt matter which. Or no gift giving if that is what you want.

One of my sons is left to his devices, but fortunately he the one child who is not a teacher, and earns a great deal, so his panic buying works much to my advantage.

As for Theseus, Amazon wish lists are his idea of heaven! As they are, I have to say, for the DGC, though I like to add my own bits too.

My son is amazing when it comes to presents; I almost have to be careful what I say throughout the year because a chance comment will result in a gift of something that I'd mentioned as a throwaway comment; my all time favourite being a solar powered rainbow maker for the kitchen window. I did think that it may have been due to his,then, girlfriend but there is a different one now and the thoughtful presents still turn up.

I have the problem of NOT encouraging my 13-year-old grandson to be on the computer all the time! so I have told him it isn't money this year (goes on games).
....so far I have gone for an 'evolution-of-the-computer-nerd' T-shirt, which will make him laugh....but what else?
Any ideas gratefully received!

Thirteen year old GSs can certainly be a problem but a friend gave me a great idea this year. You can buy a pack of printer paper for printing your own design on to a t-shirt. Of course, this doesn't get them off the computer but it is at least creative. Amazon do both the paper and plain t-shirts at a very reasonable price.

DH and I decided last year that we are only buying for the children in the family and suggested everyone else did the same. It could have backfired but it seems everyone is in agreement, so it has worked again this year.

We work on the same principle as soontobe. It makes present buying so simple. Nowadays the lists often come with web links to a supplier, which makes it easier still.

I love the T shirt idea AlieOxon. Children-only presents is fine, NotTooOld, but only if you are likely to be present at the presentation. I don't see my grandchildren at Christmas so my day is adult-only with my grown up but childless offspring. And, dammit, I look forward to a present at Christmas! I may be 65 but the child within me still gets excited when the decorations go up and the fairy lights sparkle.

I bought fabric paint felt-tip pens and two plain t-shirts a couple of years ago and my very creative GD made excellent use of them. The beauty of this was that I found the pens in Lidl and bought the t-shirts on Ebay.

As a child I used to hate getting clothes for presents. I would feel the parcel and if it was soft I wouldn't open it. Then one year, when I was 13, I begged for a record player. A large parcel was left in my room and I was so excited. I lifted it and it was too light. With a heavy heart I opened it and it was a leather shoulder bag. i've never forgotten the disappointment!

I asked my DD what her 2 boys were getting for Christmas this year. The 5 yr old is having a new scooter (he got the last one 2nd hand when he was 2) and the 18mth old is having older brothers old toys which have been put away for some time. Obviously a chip off the old block !

We too used to hate getting soft parcels at Xmas, especially from one aunt who always send underwear.

No, you are not alone, grannygalactica. SiL sends BiL out to buy us presents some years. She is a mental health nurse and we always know when she has the night shifts over the xmas season, as our xmas presents plummet in both price and desirability! He asked last year if we could drop buying adults gifts - which is a cop-out as he knows our DS will always like Game vouchers or Amazon vouchers, whereas he has a thirteen year old Diva who is very fussy.

I do all of my family, then find out what his want and make him do it on the internet. Then if it goes wrong his mother can't blame me. (thinking of the year when she wanted a padded seat to go on her posh Lutyens bench for the garden, then changed the size so the seat didn't fit. It was of course my fault for ordering the seat as soon as I was asked, I should have waited... )

(My sister asked me what I wanted and I asked for a short sub on fmp.ie!
Time for a research orgy.....)

I don't want to do any more soft parcels!
But what else can I get to distract my 13-year-old computer nerd?

How about something like this Alie

mini tabletop football

I've bought one for my 9 year-old GS and it's only £10.

It 22cm x 40cm and although I haven't opened up the box it does feel quite weighty and not flimsy.

My 10-year-old computer addict and his sister both expressed a desire for a multi-tool. Don't ask... My DS found one at reasonable price on Amazon and sent me the link - job done!

While I was single my grandmother used to buy me things like a lacy petticoat for Christmas. The Christmas after my wedding I opened a flat soft parcel to find - a pack of teatowels.

At the moment it's like Christmas every day as I excitedly open the latest Amazon delivery. I can't wait to see what's inside

Here is a present that you could use to make whatever it was you wanted but didn't get. It would have to be in plastic though.

£d printer

3D not £d. Shift key worked on the wrong character. It is £1,790.00 in ££££.

And of course you would need one of these at £1,190.00 to scan things in 3D to copy, and several of these in different colours at £35.00 each for the raw material.

Elegran, thanks. You've just given me an idea for a new hobby.

I read an article begging people with 3D printers not to make 3D printers!

If they were given away with cornflake packets (with a free lifetime supply of raw materials) I would have a go. They do look interesting, like the replicator in Star Trek.

DGS2 has had a shot of one at the firm of a family friend. He made a mug, and found the whole process fascinating, I think he will be an engineer.