Christmas gift tips

[Patrick Thistle]

I used to have the Star Wars Lego advent calendar but they have stopped doing minifigures from the original trilogy so I gave up last year.

[Patrick Thistle]

A mate of mine's sister ended a relationship because for the first Christmas they were together, her then-boyfriend gave her a wheelbarrow.

She'd got herself an allotment the summer before, so there was nothing that bad about him giving her a wheelbarrow. But she reckoned being given a wheelbarrow made her feel "unfeminine".

In the long run the boyfriend probably got lucky there.

[adams house cat]

I don't need to get gifts for anyone so I'll treat myself to a bottle of good single malt.

[Gawpus]

LS - quite a few coffee places do subscriptions where they post out beans (or ground) to you every week/month/whatever, and you generally get to choose from a few different options for what coffee you're getting next. Might be worth a look for Herself?

The ones I know of are mainly UK, but I'm sure there'll be Irish equivalents and/or UK ones willing to post to Eire.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Is this the place where I place my traditional yuletide message to say that I've already bought all mine -apart from my Mum and all we ever buy her is a meal out voucher for somewhere in Devon? Signora Rogin's are already here and wrapped, the Roginettes are on order, even my Dad and stepmum (4ocean "pound of plastic" bracelets for them this year, they too prefer the thought and the sentiment not the £££.

I'm getting the Big Tesco delivery order window booked tonight too when it opens.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

<cracks knuckles, waits for Die Hard to start>

[Sits]

apart from my Mum and all we ever buy her is a meal out voucher for somewhere in Devon.

Peter Tavy Inn, Dartmoor.

[wiblflibl]

This thread prompted me to remind Mrs Flibl that she hadn't sent me the annual Xmas present ideas email. One ice cream making machine has been ordered, the Moshulu fluffy floral mule slippers she adores will have to wait until I can double check her preferred size - she's wearing her old pair at the moment.

I'll be receiving a pair of black Dr. Martens shoes as replacements for my fourteen year old pair which have seen far better days.

[Gerontophile]

Are they still doing Christmas annuals? The books.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Some. Here's this year's Rupert Annual



Might have been produced in 1928

[Amor de Cosmos]

And here's the Dandy (there's a Beano too)

[adams house cat]

Rupert is still around. Cool! Wish I could get that here. A friend's daughter would love it.

[Nefertiti2]

Never- that's a very inferior Rupert.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Rupert is still around. Cool! Wish I could get that here. A friend's daughter would love it.

Probably on Amazon (UK for sure.)

[Toby Gymshorts]

I'm using my bonus from work to buy me a bass guitar.

[Gerontophile]

That's the exact same Rupert since about 1941*.

Is this year The Broons, or Oor Wullie?

*Or, after reading, 1928.

[Gawpus]

It's Oor Wullie this year G.

[Femme Folle]

I ordered a present for Teddy and I think I'm more excited about it than he will be. It's a rug-like thing with swatches of fabric in which you hide treats. Then you put it down on the floor and the dog is supposed to sniff them all out. He will love it.

I've given him a couple of other puzzle toys, but they all consisted of cavities where you put the treat and then cover it with a plastic thing. I always had to watch him closely and as soon as he found all of the treats, I had to pick up the plastic covers or else he would chew on them until they wouldn't fit in the holes any more. Bad Teddy.

[anton pulisov]

Ah right, your dog is called Teddy. Was a bit worried there for a second.

Merry Christmas to Teddy

Dog logic huh. The treats came from this plastic thing, so maybe if I chew on it more treats will come out

[Femme Folle]

Yes, Occam's Razor, Dog Edition.

[Sam]

I might try and get a gift of some sort this year. Not sure. Girlfriend being Jewish, it's not really a big deal either way. I was in the mood for roasting a chicken or something this year (last year I did a leg of lamb), but the gas being cut off means we've only got the slow cooker, so it might have to be half a chicken or something like that.

The good thing is that Latrice's presence this year, combined with the Argentine habit of 'celebrating' by letting off loads of fireworks, means that we have an excuse not to go to my girlfriend's dad's friend's house this year for it. They're all right to eat and drink with, but it always goes on far longer than we actually want to stay. This year we're obliged to stay home to make sure Latrice doesn't freak the fuck out at all the loud bangs and flashes of light.

[Femme Folle]

You should buy yourself an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker for Christmas, Sam. Cooks in a fraction of the time your slow cooker takes and is ten times more versatile. In summer, you could cook an entire meal without heating up the kitchen. And they also slow cook, if you ever feel the need to wait for eight hours for your food to be cooked.

[Sam]

If we'd been able to afford a pressure cooker we'd have got one of those instead. But we didn't, and now we have no room for anything else. Although this one does cook at other speeds as well – it's just not a pressure cooker so won't do things super fast.

[Femme Folle]

Ah yes, the space dilemma. Because I'm deemed 'difficult to shop for' I have to make a wish list every year for my family. I've been scouring Amazon.com for things to put on it--nothing too expensive, but things that I really want. Most of the things in that range are kitchen things, and I already have one entire cupboard filled with things like toaster oven, food processor, slow cooker and a George Foreman grill, and with the exception of the food processor, I never use any of them. I need to consider getting rid of them, so if my family do buy any of the items on my list (which they will), I'll have a place to store them when not in use.

[Moonlight Shadow]

I was stuck for a (small) Christmas present for the GLW, she is getting a big'un for her 40th in January so small budget....Then my colleague who is a good amateur painter solved the issue for me.

Pretty please that both presents will be of the 'small independent artisan made' variety...