And what did DH buy YOU?

He bought me a most fabulous Angel figure , a Lonely Planet guide book .

our present to each other though is a holiday in Mauritius first 2 weeks in February .

Need some nice hot sun on these bones .

We are taking ourselves to Bournemouth for 2 nights and the BSO Viennese Gala New Year's Day concert as our presents to each other. Left to his own devices he would have wanted books books and more books and not only is every wall covered in bookcases, we have bags and boxes in the loft and garage. Plus he can't get out to shops on his own (I know there's the internet) but I do feel we have too much stuff so a few days away or a concert or theatre visit is much better! On which subject, sis-IL gave us tickets for Mark Rylance in Richard III yesterday, also very welcome!

Ana you are quite right about my dear HUSBAND he is a gem.

regarding my oldest friend if you saw the earrings I think would agree they are a very bad joke!
however I am aware is naughty to criticise presents, just when you have known someone for over 40 years you do know what they would not wear!!!

I put an awful lot thought into presents and must admit she doesn normally which is why I noticed it.

No hubby but an overseas trip to see grandkids in October paid for by son in law and daughter and another trip abroad for Christmas to see the other set of grandkids paid for by son and daughter in law plus lots of presents from her extended family over there. Have never known such generosity. What lovely people the Canadians are. Made me cry. Lovely times, lots of photos and little video clips to last all year. Be back in January just in time to go to cirque de soliel in London with sisters. Exhausting but wonderful.

We looked at the fishing rods at that shop in Alnwick; boy are some of them expensive and I agree they are things of beauty [but not as beautiful as the flies which are works of art].

A very expensive fishing rod! It is a thing of beauty!

Same as always - nothing. We do not buy each other Christmas presents, when the children were small they came first and we went without.

We could now, but as he would want specialist items I could have to ask him what he wanted and he would have to do the same for me.

Our money is a communal pot - although I over see it and he always checks with me that there are sufficient funds in the current account before purchasing anything.

Quite frankly he could not buy me clothes = he guessed the other day that I was a size 15 (I am any where between a 12 or 14 or even 16 dependent upon manufacturer )

harrigran, DH and I decided on no gifts for each other this year, too. It seems a bit daft, when if we want something we can just go and get it. He worries too much about what to get me (he really is notoriously bad at choosing presents), and tells me I need to go and buy myself something for Christmas.....hardly worth the worry for him, really!
I think it's a good thing to consider not buying for older adult members of the family, or if doing so, just a gesture, more than anything. I did end up buying 'bits' for my adult grand-daughters such as scarves, costume jewellery, make-up, pretty stockings etc, because they still love opening presents, but nothing overly expensive.

Mmmm......Gally I can smell all that lovely bread you'll be baking.

In the absence of a DH, I bought myself an iPad. DD2 in Oz, gave me a breadmaker and DD1 gave me lots of different flours from a local mill so you can see what I will be up to next year!

We are sort of on that route, harrigran so DH and I have stuck to very small gifts for each other, and are looking at charity gifts for each other; I bought a water pump for an African village this year. (Clean water is his passion, as some of you know) But he did enjoy his chocolate orange, and I needed my new hair dryer.

Not very romantic granny23 or are you

I got permission to buy myself a fabulous pair of sheepskin-lined boots from Rohan which are smart enough to wear shopping in town but great for country walks too.

I got a £50 note in a Christmas Card from DH with his usual apologies that he never knows what to get for me. I suppose £50 might seem quite generous but not when set against the Pure Wool modern 'sports' jacket', chelsea boots, dressing gown, pyjamas, black bun, tablet, and DVDs that I got for him. He also does not see a problem with the fact that the £50 will appear on the January statement as a withdrawal from our joint account where our almost equal pensions go.

No, Marelli I wasn't looking for a gift. Last year we decided we had everything we needed and we would not buy for each other. it sort of snowballed from there and now none of the adults get gifts. The GC get spoiled rotten of course.

I must say, celebgran, I think your DH is a star to have bought you all those presents off his own bat - I got a new phone that I'd ordered myself but he paid for! And I think you're lucky to have received presents from your friend, regardless of whether or not they were to your taste...

oh mishap that made me smile!!!

can I just have an ungrateful rant!! my oldest friend who normally gets quite nice pressies ie Royal Doulton fruit bowl last year she knew we were decoration d room get picture, well she got me a pin head sized pr of black pearl earrings, they are dreadful and will never wear them and a Nivea gift set!!! what happened there then! WE have had difficult year as she is DD GODMOTHER, and she still sends them the odd card and wrote to them in summer asking her to write back, so it caused bit of a storm.

mmmm we going there for buffet with other friends on Sunday will I have to smile sweetly and say thank for awful presents!!

I put so much thought in to hers, a Cliff biography she is huge fan, cat calendar she loves cats, and pretty diary, and lovely photo albumn,
memo to myself less trouble next year!!

well 2 pairs of beautiful gold earrings, to add to my massive collection!
and a beautiful ankle chain, some Elle perfume one of my favourites! which he chose for me on his own initative some years ago.

Also pretty pink roses mug from Marks with smellies in, and a lovely couple books, also pretty nighty he does spoil me!! and a king charles spaniel calendar which fooled me as I though it was a Cliff one!!

Like me, harrigran! Had you hoped for something,though?

Nothing.

Just dawned on us that the tickets DH bought me are the same weekend that Bertie's sibling is due and we are on babysitting/dog sitting duties - oops!!

grannyscalpay I had to look up Scalpay to see where it is even though I am an exiled Scot. Looks beautiful although I don't think I could live somewhere so remote. Good luck with the Gaelic - I tried a couple of times to learn and found it far too difficult

grannyscalpay no sun in London either!

The Isle of Scalpay sounds fascinating - I'm assuming it's remote, rugged and romantic . Do tell us a little about life there.

Digital piano. Moved to Hebrides 12 yrs ago, and for the first time in my life have not had a piano. Not that I am that good a pianist, but I love it. Was playing duets with my granddaughter in Canada not long ago, and realised how much I missed it. Looking forward to gaining back some of my old skills. Also got a just published Gaelic-English dictionary. I am finally making a real effort to learn some Gaelic, taking a distance learning course with Sabhal Mor Ostaig. So my two big projects for this year are my Gaelic course and rediscovering piano joys. That sun is what we definitely don't have today on The Isle of Scalpay. Expecting winds of 80 mph or more this afternoon. Scary!