Gransnet forums

Competitions

Best reads for Christmas - win £600 of books

(602 Posts)
CariGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 14-Nov-18 09:51:32

It's that time of year again (hurrah) and time for our best reads for Christmas page...great gift ideas to cater for every taste. Recommendations include fiction, non-fiction, cookery, quizzes and more.

And one very lucky person can win the lot...worth almost £600.

Simply tell us on this thread which gift you are most looking forward to giving this Christmas. It can be big, small, homemade, expensive or free. After all, it's the thought that counts.

Usual Gransnet terms and conditions apply. A winner will be drawn at random at midday on Wednesday 12 December.

GeminiJen Mon 19-Nov-18 12:21:25

The gift I'm most looking forward to giving this Christmas is my time. I'll be staying with my daughter. She's a single Mum with two young boys, a demanding full time job and has just moved house. The place was a tip, so a lot of scrubbing and elbow grease were involved sad but we got through it all with the help of brew cupcake a fair amount of wine and a shared sense of humour. I know how much my help was appreciated. So, for Christmas, I'll be responsible for much of the cooking etc. and looking forward to this time to relax and enjoy each other's company. I'm also giving her one of the books on your list and will make sure that the boys are entertained while she puts her feet up at some point with the book and enjoys a bit of 'me' time.

mbody Mon 19-Nov-18 12:49:34

My favourite perfume is always welcome

Dannydog1 Mon 19-Nov-18 15:49:33

My three year old granddaughter is hugely excited about Christmas this year and wants a doll- which I have brought for her. Can’t wait!

Floradora9 Mon 19-Nov-18 15:51:41

A look forward to treating my granchildren and their parents to a trip to a pantomime .Their mummy was brought up in America and has no idea of what it will be like .

toscalily Mon 19-Nov-18 16:15:41

My time, time to bake pre Christmas goodies with two small granddaughters, messy but great fun. Visit family & friends, some are distant so that takes a lot of time, time to decorate, cook, enjoy, laugh and share the happiness of being together.

tw1nkle Mon 19-Nov-18 16:18:02

A keyboard and two Hornby train sets for my 3 grandsons. Can't wait. x

tw1nkle Mon 19-Nov-18 16:18:02

A keyboard and two Hornby train sets for my 3 grandsons. Can't wait. x

yoeydavis Mon 19-Nov-18 19:10:09

My Daughter is leaving home and moving into her first little flat. She's got her eye on a marble kettle and toaster set, so I'd love to be able to get it for her.

AnnGilbertson Mon 19-Nov-18 19:29:30

I am looking forward to giving my boss Michelle an Arran Aromatics gift set. Top quality gift for the best boss I ever worked for.All the customers at our Salvation Army charity shop love her.

Jacksgrandma123 Mon 19-Nov-18 20:13:17

I am really looking forward to giving my first grandchild a little tykes activity gym which was one of my son's favourite toys when he was small. It will be the first Christmas he will remember and I shall love sharing 'The Snowman' book and video with him which has become a bit of a tradition with our family Christmas. A little early still , but wishing everyone a healthy and happy Christmas!

toby1kenobi Mon 19-Nov-18 22:21:57

I hope to be able to get a dog for my daughter. She will be so excited. X

Julie9 Mon 19-Nov-18 22:41:05

A widower friend of the family keeps joking every time he sees me crocheting that I’m making a jumper for him, so I’m secretly making him one. I’m looking forward to giving it to him and hoping for a positive and delighted reaction. Here’s hoping it fits!

grannyactivist Mon 19-Nov-18 23:17:41

Last year we invited a young orphaned man we know to spend Christmas with us; he has sought asylum in this country after his father and siblings were killed in front of him. His mother has disappeared and is also believed to have been killed. I encouraged him to help me decorate the Christmas tree and he absolutely loved doing it. A couple of weeks ago my husband asked if he would like to come and stay with us again for Christmas and his answer moved us both: "Where else would I be? You are my family now."

He will have presents to unwrap on Christmas Day, but the gift he wants is to decorate the tree and enjoy being part of a family once again - and so he shall. tchsmile

sonyaritchie13 Tue 20-Nov-18 01:15:32

I'm giving my hubby an Amazon kindle 8 he will love it xx

Florabunda60 Tue 20-Nov-18 03:38:49

As I will be on my own I am hoping to give myself a trip to our local zoo on Christmas Day as I heard only in last day or two that they are open then. If luck is with me then I will get a glimpse of their elusive baby red panda. This species is one of my favourites. Red pandas are much smaller than giant pandas, obviously!! They have a long tail and are arboreal animals with dark reddish hairs on their body and black and white stripey markings on their heads. They are a conservation species as are giant pandas and indigenous to a similar part of the world. My admission payment to the zoo will help further their conservation and educational work. So I am not hoping for lots of snow to be around on Christmas day else I won't be able to get there but the red pandas would probably enjoy a sprinkling of the white!

JessK Tue 20-Nov-18 09:41:07

I'm hoping my hints will mean that I get a copy of the Dairy Cookbook. My very old copy needs updating as it has been well dog-eared and there are so many lovely recipes in these books that makes it a source of inspiration.

notoveryet Tue 20-Nov-18 10:24:11

Christmas this year will bring the first birthday of my great granddaughter. My granddaughter is a single mum and others of my family have had a wretched year. The baby has brought us all such joy. Because we are all in limited incomes we do secret Santa with a limit of £10., and that's the present I am looking forward to giving. We will all be together and no one need worry about getting into debt.

glitterpops Tue 20-Nov-18 10:58:26

This Christmas, the gift I am most looking forward to giving is a beautiful handmade necklace to my mother. It’s one she has looked at for months and I know the colours will match perfectly with the pinks and greys she loves to wear.

suelowe47 Tue 20-Nov-18 12:18:16

I give my best friend an “ adoption “ every Christmas . This year it’s Adopt-A-Dormouse ...aaah !

fitwell Tue 20-Nov-18 16:41:06

Have bought my sister an evening in,she loves watching films, so now she will have pjs, slippers, popcorn maker, posh crisps and a bottle of Prosecco

Glenfinnan Tue 20-Nov-18 19:16:18

Looking forward to giving family members home made mince pies, very simple but I love making them. I also like receiving the home made cards from the children under 10 years old!

Grannymoz Tue 20-Nov-18 19:57:41

Looking forward to giving my granddaughter her first Barbie house

Mumof1 Tue 20-Nov-18 19:58:41

I love this time of year! Spending time with family and friends. Even the smallest of gifts mean the most when you are surrounded by the people you love. There’s nothing better than snuggling on the sofa under a blanket watching family movies and drinking hot chocolate ❤️

chelseababy Tue 20-Nov-18 20:13:49

I'm looking forward to giving decoupaged hanging hearts with winter scenes. It's my new hobby!

Rosie987 Tue 20-Nov-18 20:40:15

Looking forward to giving my parents Fleetwood Mac concert tickets. They are massive fans!