Favourite presents

I agree with Evie64- My Kindle is best present ever. I have been an avid reader all my life & this is just brilliant for reading in bed if DH asleep without waking him by turning on light & it is great on the beach too.
It fits in my handbag & I never go out without it- just in cae I get held up somewhere.
Had a birthday with a 0 at the end last week - very depressing but I got a lovely bracelet from DS & Dil which made it bearable. Just!

Nothing has ever equalled the Christmas morning when I woke to find a wonderful doll’s house in my bedroom. Half-way through the war nothing new was available and my godparents had bought and decorated a second or third hand one, complete with lights and a car in the garage as well as furniture and a resident family. I played with it for years and sold in in 1953 in order to buy a wrist watch suitable for someone starting secondary school.

A collapsible wheelbarrow

My DD for last Mothers Day gave me a quilt she had made for me. It was a total surprise and she had quilted little personal messages at each corner. I just adore it and it warms my heart every night as I climb into bed.

Before lockdown I loved experience gifts. My daughter bought me one for a restaurant in Cornwall, where we should have been enjoying the meal yesterday. Sadly that holiday was cancelled and they have kindly extended the expiry date on the experience voucher. I don’t really need non practical gifts so this was perfect.

My son gave me a rather large wicker basket filled with lovely little treats and things that I like....bubble bath, chocolate, a book token etc.
It was so lovely.

Like Davidal1968 I really love a quality fragranced hand cream or body lotion. It feels like such a wonderful indulgence. I once treated myself to a bottle of Chanel No19 body lotion - it was incredibly gorgeous!

All my granchildren.

I wish my daughters would not send me flowers. They arrive bruised and battered and sit in the vase dying. I would much prefer a plant.

My favourite present was a birds of prey experience. I love owls and we were kitted out with strong gloves and the birds flew to us. My little grandson came along and we have a photo of him very gently holding a baby barn owl - just a little bundle of white feathers.

My favourite present as an adult was a SatNav. It's brilliant and perfect for someone who drives a lot, always on their own. It's seen me round France a couple of times and I wouldn't do without it when I'm driving somewhere that I don't know.

My family have all given me great presents. My favourite from OH is an ice cream maker (the type which is just like a mini freezer); my daughter gave me a beautifully bound copy of Pride & Prejudice, which is my favourite book; elder son knows I love baking so bought me one of those circular spinning things which you balance a cake on to ice, and finally younger son bought me a wonderful wooden tray with collapsible legs for eating breakfast in bed!

Oh yes, I’d forgotten photobooks. Dds made them through Snapfish or similar for our recent Big birthdays - photos from way back to the present.
It took me ages to go through umpteen old albums to find a good selection for dh’s - had to wait until he was out for a few hours.

We did a similar for a dd recently - although she’d had a fantastic big wedding do she’d never had a proper album, all the shots were digital. So an album with lots of the best went down very well - nearly 5 years after the event!

My best ever present was a family photo shoot for my 70th birthday. It included a photo book and I love looking at it!

I've mentioned it before but nothing has ever come close to the Rocking Horse I had for Christmas when I was six. My father made it and it was pretty much life size to me then. Dapple grey with a real horse hair mane and tail (which was donated by a horse I had met) I was absolutely stunned when I walked in and saw it.

On a more recent note DD has given me a DNA test for my birthday. She's a biochemist working with genetics so she reckons she's found me a good one.

I am a Beatle nut. For my birthday a few years ago, my daughter bought me a night's stay in The Hard Day's Night hotel in Liverpool and tickets for the Cavern Club. Bliss for me. I let DH come along as it was for two!

One year, when my sister and I were going to Venice after my birthday, my family paid for our gondola trip and a historical walk round the city. Another time, they bought me a balloon flight which was constantly delayed owing to windy weather, but I eventually got it, albeit on a disappointingly cloudy day. Some years ago I suggested that I would like a flying lesson for my 80th birthday (which will be this November) but they decided to bring it forward and I had my prized flying lesson several years early. What next? Can't imagine!

Did you always want to go up in a balloon or was it a surprise gift?
I’ve missed seeing the hot air balloons up over our skies at Malvern tidyskatemum There are usually several a week when the weather is good - and of course it’s been beautiful for weeks back to back this Spring, but it’s not permitted.

DS bought us a hot air balloon flight a couple of years ago. It was over a year before we got to use it - cancelled at short notice 8 times due to rain, wind being in the wrong direction etc.! Worth it when we finally got up there though.

PS: She also bought me a subscription to Puzzler Magazine

My favourite present without a doubt is my Kindle. My daughter bought it for me about 3 or 4 years ago. Up until then I used to buy books online. I've always been an avid reader. It's been a Godsend , esp when I (used to) go on holidays. Wouldn't be without it now.

What a beautiful gift dragonfly

My partner always buys me some Molton Brown hand cream and/or shower gel as part of my birthday and Chri**mas presents.
I used to keep them for special days ... now I don’t, I use them every day.

I had some deep purple and white ones today from M&S - mine in a few days too ?

Had a delivery of flowers from Bloom and Wild today! They are gorgeous. (Birthday in a few days....)

Isn't it interesting that as we get older we set less store by material things and more by experiences.

I have enough stuff and long to get rid of most of it.