Birthday flowers

If I'd received 3 bunches of flowers and I didn't want them, I'd take a bunch to each of my neighbours and leave them on their doorsteps. Spread the joy.

I had my birthday at the end of January and got 3 bouquets delivered 2 from my daughters and 1 from my husband and l already had some l had treat myself to but it really cheered me up and they are still looking lovely ????

Things are difficult at the moment . Even when the shops where open , not everyone wanted to put themselves in harm's way by going in them . It was my in laws anniversary and instead of buying flowers , I ordered a personalized yankee candle to be delivered . Only for yankee candle to cancel my order the day before it was due to be delivered , because they didn't have the fragrance . If I had sent flowers at least they would have got them . At the moment we should be grateful for what ever we get .

It is a shame they sent flowers if you don`t like them. I think its hard for AC to get things right. When mine ask me what I want I always say flowers or a book token but thats because that is what I like.
Sadly all you can do is shake your head and move on - hope you made the day special for yourself.

your so lucky your family think of you enough to send flowers and chocolates, i ever get anything apart from a message on face book for birthday and christmas from my Daughter as for son never a word i would love to receive even just a card

If someone sent me flowers and chocolates I’d be thrilled. I think it’s very thoughtful. But we’re all different. I think at the moment it’s so hard to know what to get people for birthdays and Xmas. I’m hopeless at getting gifts for people, I just have no imagination.
My daughter is very good at gifts, and I always get lovely things from her. My youngest son never gets anything for anyone. But my oldest son (estranged), always used to bring me flowers when he visited, and quite often a coffee cake. Which I loved.
But he also used to bring a Xmas tree bauble from every place he went to on holiday. Now, he knew I wasn’t very bothered about Xmas, so I couldn’t understand why he bought them. I only had a small Xmas tree that plugged in. So not sure where he thought these baubles would go. ??‍♀️

??I’ll have them!!?

Lend with care is a lovely gift to give. It costs £15 which you lend to an business person, farmer , shop keeper in a poor country. They bit by bit pay it back into your account and it is then available for you to lend again. If you wish you can withdraw the money. I love it and like reading about the different people and what they want the loan for. I have done this for several years and lent to many people in very poor countries.

Totally agree with you Homeagain123. Not everyone likes flowers, I’m not keen either, I’d much rather be taken out for lunch or a cream tea or be given an M&S voucher etc. I appreciate it’s lockdown at the moment but an IOU from them with a definite promise of a lunch or cream tea spending proper time with my AC would make me a lot happier than said bunch of flowers, box of chocolates my hips don’t need! I wasn’t too happy on behalf of my DH last month when my DS sent a card to his father with 2 scratch cards in ?. He’s done this before and I wasn’t happy then either (we are always too generous even though we cannot really afford giving between £60-£100 with all their birthdays and Xmas) but today have told my husband that from here on in they will be getting a smaller voucher or money in their card from us. I was hurt on behalf of my DH that they couldn’t even be bothered to either stick £15 in the card so DH could treat himself to a bottle of whiskey or a voucher for same so he could have popped into local supermarket for a bottle. Its not the amount as I know they haven’t got a lot of money but it’s the non existent thought that goes into our presents. I showed my DGS on FaceTime some clothes I’d bought him yesterday that I thought he would like but as he turned his nose up at them in front of me I knew straight away his DM would take them back and get the money it was the last straw, I’m now sending them back and won’t be doing that either ever again, I should know better as we’ve been burned before, it’s hurtful I agree.

When DH died back in September, I received SEVEN enormous bouquets and was totally overwhelmed. I had only 3 vases (had to resort to using storage jars) am subject to hay-fever (particularly the yellow pollen from these giant white lilies. It was all too much and upsetting rather than comforting.

However, I passed on two to my daughters and took three to my OH's care home, where they always have lovely flowers in the foyer. Perhaps HomeAgain123 you too could re-gift some or all of your flowers to someone who would love the unexpected surprise?

Hap hazard, blinking predictive text!

I don't know what age you are but personally, I find it very difficult to buy gifts for people. I would much rather ask what the person would like. I had this problem with my mother and I spoke to her about it and told her that, as her birthday/Christmas nears, she should say something like "if you are wondering what to buy me for .....then I would like.....and this worked out so much better for all concerned.

I received a box of biscuits and a box of tea bags for Christmas from one of my children, well before lockdown too! It still rankles, they had very obviously been wrapped in the car, with previously used, and torn paper, no gift tag, and very happy hazard sticky tape!
Not much thought, given that I only ever drink decaf coffee, a well known fact in my family!

*Homeagain123

I am with you actually, not at all to be ungrateful but because as you say, you spend time thinking about gifts and these are gifts, (and don't get me wrong they are lovely!) but just require 'one click'.

Last year by best friend asked me for something that I had made for her birthday, and I was delighted - so bought all the kit required which cost me about £45, which is a lot of money for me, made it for her and she was absolutely thrilled which was lovely! Then for Christmas I literally got a box of biscuits - no thought in that whatsoever as I am diabetic!! Last year she got me a Boots Voucher - knowing I don't use smellies, and I ended up buying 6 months worth of Tena Pads - at least they came in useful .... so I agree, it isn't always the thought that counts, some thoughts just don't!

I'd love to be acknowledged on my birthday!

As we get older generally there are less things we need or desire. Flowers are always my very favourite thing to receive - it’s hard at the best of times knowing what present to get for someone and wouldn’t you rather get a beautiful bouquet than something you neither want or need? I do t mean to sound harsh - we are all different but just maybe ? this is a matter of how you look at it.

I think that sometimes the problem is us, not them! I am quite an ungracious receiver of gifts, and wish I wasn’t. Some years ago I tried to get the family to donate to charity on our behalf, but that didn’t go down well, so we now accept the gifts, reciprocate as best we can, and happiness reigns! I am now just pleased that they all think of us and want to mark our special days.

Happy belated birthday [HomeAgain123]

What a lovely thing you did, to share your flowers with friends and neighbours, a surprise gift will give them a boost.

Maybe ask your children to donate to a favourite charity next time, unless there’s something you really want?

It’s often really difficult to buy presents you know someone will like. My aunt loved receiving hand-made gifts, but it was clear after her death that they’d spent their life unused in a drawer.
Now I just ask what they would like, and if it’s an Amazon or iTunes voucher or money towards art equipment so be it.
I feel for the OP. If I had told my daughter I didn’t like receiving cut flowers, I might be upset if that was what she sent, but life is difficult enough today, so if she forgot, I’d just be glad she remembered my birthday.

I would not complain if my children sent me flowers. I would be grateful...

My daughter sent me flowers for my birthday last month because knows I love them. I prefer them to anything else because I have got to the age when I need to be cutting back, not collecting any more things.

I have been sending gifts from companies such as L,Ocittane and Molton Brown to relatives and they cost no more than flowers and chocolates. You order on line and they can be gift wrapped and sent directly so no going to the Post Office. I understand about too many flowers and prefer something chosen just for me.

Gifts for set occasions should be banned, they are more trouble than they are worth to the giver and the receiver, the only real beneficiary is the retailer. I try to give gifts at the time they are appropriate, eg a balance bike for the 2 year old, just as she is at that stage of development - plants for my S and DIL's garden when they decided they wanted to rennovate the garden. Gifts on particular days are like a licence to give a big gesture a few times a year so you can get away with ungenerous or selfish behaviour for the rest of the time. If I go to anyone's house I try to take something every time, such as a couple of scones or some chutney (that I have made of course). Those are things I enjoy receiving too - Set occasions cause people to feel a sense of duty towards others, I don't want anyone to give me anything out of 'duty'. Btw, I love flowers but hate the amount land and water resources they use in the countries they are grown where people could be growing their own food, the plastic they come in and the distance they have travelled to get to me (and therefore energy consumed).

I suppose it was nice of them to remember as a lady I know was giving off cos her family forgot hers. There's lots of places you can go online for presents, I've had to, so I suppose flowers and chocs are an easier solution at the minute. I always prefer a plant for the garden rather than cut flowers so when I see it, it reminds me of the person who bought me it. Buy yourself something nice, I'm on my own and that's what I do, I say it's from the dog lol

I totally agree with you. I had a birthday a few years ago and received 4 gifts of flowers.
One was from my Aunt and they were lovely and much appreciated the rest were from my adult kids, bought from M&S on the way to my house for birthday tea. All lilies as well which I haven’t really bought for 20 years as I prefer freesias or daffs now.
No thought, no effort.