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So what are you buying? Inspire us
She has everything she needs.
She has everything she wants.
She has been inlock down since forever.
She goes out less often than the wheelie bin.
She has seen every 'art product' you have produced and learned to love or loath them all.
Previous gifts were perfume, theatre tickets, holidays, ornaments and paintings.
My first thought was a car but with three already and given she doesn't drive I am guessing that is a no.
Help
My first thought was a car but with three already and given she doesn’t drive I am guessing that is a no.
Driving lessons 🙂
A dildo.
A short course in something she's voiced a passing interest in. For me and the current mrs Bloke that was poultry keeping and bee keeping.
We just do token pressies. A book and posh chocolates
Frame respray.
I appreciate this is unlikely to be helpful to everyone.
Fish & Chips
Just ask her what she wants and get that. This idea that after 25 years together I'll suddenly discover something that my missus wants/ needs but has been blissfully unaware of all that time is bollox.
A pair of some fancy trainers she liked.
A dirtlej suit to save on washing my minging kit every week.
Life insurance for yourself?
Honestly, look at experiences rather than stuff. "Having something to unwrap" is laudable but lasts about 10 minutes and then you've got more crap to find a home for. How about a spa day or massage session for when outside is legal again?
Or Lego.
Nice pants.
Worth a try
Tracey's Dog?
Pet squirrel.
Normally go for a mix of bits she asks for or consumables like gin/Lush/chocs.
Apart from that maybe practical but still nice looking stuff that might be more expensive than she would normally get? Running trainers that are actually suitable for exercise and in her real size, or a colourful polka dot bike basket that can be used as a shoulder bag were recent examples for me.
If you don’t have them already, how about a Boston shaker and cocktail making book, with some ingredients? Then you get to try them together and have a bit of fun making them.
A charity donation.
I know this will sound preachy but when there is so much poverty, hungry kids, cold pensioners, homeless people etc buying something for the sake of it doesn't sit well with me.
We are getting each other a token bottle or box of chocolates and making a donation.
A car?! Donate some money to her favourite charity.
+1 on charity - buy a goat, twin a loo, donate a bike, supply tools etc.
Garden plant or shrub? I bought mrs_oab some trees we wanted for garden last year, she really liked them.
Some kind of skill / craft class such as pottery, photography or painting?
We've had a £100 limit for the past 3 years, that has to be spent on at least 8 things. My "main" present this year is a custom jigsaw puzzle done with a photo that I know will make her laugh.
Pre-COVID, she wanted to enter the UK Jigsaw championships for a laugh - I found it online - so it'll be a reminder of that too.
I've also adopted a snowy owl for her too.
We normally have a £100 limit, which has been breached by both sides in the past.
for various reasons i've breached it this year and bought her a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.
She's a keen baker and every year whilst watching 'Bake off' she says how much she'd love one.
We buy/make for family and friends and just get ourselves a joint gift ‘for the tree’. Last year was a granite pestle and mortar (recommended by STW instead of a garlic crusher) and I bagged a vintage framed calligraphy print of ‘Desiderata’ from the charity shop.
Pestle/mortar has been heavily used for 12 months and my cooking is improving leaps and bounds. ‘Desiderata’ lives on the kitchen wall and that has been a big help too. Top result.
This year is possibly a wok.
Best thing we ever did was set a £25 limit when we first got together - still keep to it now (ish 🙂 ) and go and do something nice with the money we'd otherwise spend on presents.
@freeagent - I'm moving in!
Having got a (now gold plated, or least she could be for the amount we have spent on stuff and vets bills) rescue dog this year it's been easy to not buy each other much for Christmas.
One of the things I've bought that my wife loved the most was an advent calendar, and behind every door it told you how the money from the calendar went to help a charity.
Failing that, look up Sophie Darling or Strathberry they seem to be the big favourites for my wife right now.
If you'd have been better organised you could have found an artist and commissioned them to draw a picture of you both in your favourite place, then have it framed up for her .
But you weren't, so you can't 😉
A pair of slippers and a dildo.
If she doesn't like the slippers she can go f herself!
But actually a Rubik's cube. Its great and engages the brain.
I'm in a lucky position whereby we have an agreement of... no presents for each other at xmas 🙂
Over the last few years we've moved away from actual presents (bar something little to unwrap, like a book or something) to having a weekend away somewhere in Jan/Feb.
Clearly, that's not happening this year, so we've bought ourselves a smart trainer. Merry christmas...
Before that, it tended to be 'experience' stuff (like courses as above, theatre/gig tickets etc) rather than actual stuff.
1st aid course and supplies.......
Parts for her Volvo. That's what MrsRNP is getting.
MrsMC is getting a ProViz hoodie for running in that she requested, and a small blender to replace the broken one, that she didn't request.
Kids are providing books this year.
Posh leggings, I got my wife some Lululemon even though I had to close my eyes when it came to paying for them.
Means she can still feel fashionable and trendy even when lounging about the house 😀
deffo get her something she'll remember - my wife never forgets the year i got her a mop!
edit: perfume/ a film themed craft book for a laugh, some vintage/heritage vegetable seeds (shes into gardening) and an IOU for a holiday.
I've gone for the new Fitbit Versa 3, some Hotel Chocolate drinking chocolate and biscuits, a subscription to Apple TV+ and a book which I'll select when I can finally get to Waterstones next week.
I got ... some shoes. She bought them herself off ebay and gave them to me to wrap. Best way for someone to get something they want! I drew them in the inktober thread, so I might frame the pic and give her that too, seeing as they are such cool shoes (red DMs).
and.. a session in the float isolation tank thing. Now WCA , that is in Southampton, so if you feel like giving her an hour or so break from the hammering and sawing coming from your garage, will send you the link! 😊
Mrs Weeksy is getting Bras (not my kind with holes in) and a weird fluffy hot water bottle.
I’ve also adopted a snowy owl for her too.
How lovely. Where will you keep it?
I'm giving slippers that were asked for, trendy Rocketdog boots that weren't (Hopefully he won't mind me giving away his boots), and a calendar featuring the year's shenanigans which has become tradition.
My wife is getting a dryrobe for standing around watching my daughter play football and my son race bmx. Bloody freezing being a spectator.
How about a spa day or massage session for when outside is legal again?
That was what I was going to suggest. But then I saw @matt_outandabout 's suggestion and +1. Buy her a goat.
I'm having a fork service and upgraded parts, probably a few small surprises 😃. No underwear for me this year as its not the same if bought of the internet 😉.
Its easy to get presents for him, he has a present bag and throughout the year will slowly fill it with stuff he wants but doesn't need. At Birthday and Christmas time me and the girls just raid it 😆.
Coasters
We've bought each other goretex waterproof walking troosers.
#rocknroll
We've both bought stuff we use for our hobbies. Me, MrsF has a new Garmin for me and I've bought her a load of sewing stuff, plus some bottles of Gin from a local small batch distillers (very local).
Or Lego
This ☝
I bought Mrs Door two tyres for her car a few years back. She was a bit cross until I explained I had had the tracking done too for extra brownie points.
I forget how the rest of the conversation went...
Go traditional and buy jewellery, might still have time to get something from Kate Smith.
for various reasons i’ve breached it this year and bought her a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.
She’s a keen baker and every year whilst watching ‘Bake off’ she says how much she’d love one.
I bought my wife the same thing a couple of years ago. Cost a fortune but she loved it, she has wanted one since she was a teenager, she is an illustrator and when she started at Uni she painted a picture of one, that was 27 years ago long before bake off! Goes well in our retro 50’s kitchen.
This year I am concerned as the book I bought her from California hasn’t arrived yet - the USPS tracking info page is mega long and I’m not sure it’s in the UK yet!!! It’s a long out of print Robert Betchel retrospective book which is normally £400 plus second hand but I got it for £90 on eBay....... sweet!
My wife asked for a Kindle so I got her a Paperwhite (the slightly nicer version).
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.
Bought mrs_oab one for a birthday in 1996, first birthday after we were married. It's in use daily, she loves it.
However it was made plainly clear that no other birthday should ever involve kitchen appliances....
How lovely. Where will you keep it?
Just around the house. They're basically cats with wings aren't they?
I had a calendar made from photos throughout the year, it's come out nice and she can frame any she likes later. I could probably do this every year!
Or Lego
This ☝
I bought Mrs Door two tyres for her car a few years back. She was a bit cross
I'm not surprised. You could at least have got her a complete set, maybe something from the Technics or Creator ranges.
Coasters
i once bought a girlfriend a pasta spoon. she had been saying how much she wanted one for a while so assumed that she would be delighted by the fact that i listened. it turned out that i was wrong.
this came back to me after i was pondering some getting some coasters this Christmas for my wife.
edit: does she wear slippers? if she does, get her some really good slippers. that’s what i want.
One of the onesies advertised over there<<<<<<<
You know the one with the bottom flap that no one is quite sure what it's for. Could make for a fun discussion on Christmas day.
New remote control for sky box - wrapped beautifully
Mary Berry bake set
Both didn’t go down too well.
I bought Mrs Door two tyres for her car a few years back. She was a bit cross until I explained I had had the tracking done too for extra brownie points.
I forget how the rest of the conversation went…
🤣
I've just had a quick look at the website for lulu lemon as my wife wants some new yoga leggings for Christmas, flip me they are pricey and not even goretex.
Ha ha
That’s just reminded me. She wants a tri blade. Oops already gone over budget with the new iron and carbon fibre mop.
Good luck ...
We gave up on buying each other presents years ago.
Would she be into foraging?
I got mine a via Ferrata experience and then decided I’d have to do it too reallly.... Covid hit so I’ve got away with that for another 6 months I reckon!
Funky leggings for working out if she does?
Jewellery off Etsy?
Sort of thinking outside the box really.... what would make life better for her when you do things?
Does she cycle? Upgraded kit?
Sometimes the item doesn’t even need to be fancy, just something that makes life better... put it this way my 5’3 fiancée won’t need to borrow my 34L waterproof trousers anymore (non biking ones) !
Rituals do nice smellies too, and a car air freshener in different scents?
Pottery workshop?
Just a few ideas...
Parts for her Volvo.
Oh aye. 😉
Cement mixer.
Shock Update!!!!!!
When she saw me trying to put the frame together for the tree painting I posted earlier she said -You are not selling that, I want it, I thought it was my Christmas present.
Now I need to paint a very similar picture for the client, frame that and work out how to frame the picture for the wife.
Marriage, the gift that just keeps kicking you in the nuts giving
This year it's going to be a new purse and a sort of bamboo bowl thing for keeping balls of wool in when she's knitting. The best reaction I had to a Christmas present for her was a few years ago when I got her a kilner jar full of those sherbert flying saucer sweets. She loved it!
Power kite obviously. Surprised it's not already been noted.
Or a unicycle. You're not allowed to ride it.
Parts for her Volvo. That’s what MrsRNP is getting
You’re too late - 2 others had already suggested dildos.
Hmmm I'm liking the limit idea some people have - wish we did that for the last 27 years.
This year Mrs is getting;
New Ipad Air
Case for above
Planetarium thing cos she like stars
Most of a Joules catalogue!
Helinox Chair
Some fancy Gin
Worse bit it her birthday is next week as well so December is a bad month for the bank balance.
She would prefer nothing and have the children and grand children round but that can't happen this year!
The goat or bike for Africa. Change some peoples lives in a far away place.
I just bought my wife a Cube 29er mtb, as she’s been showing some interest in cycling this year and this bike has a single front cog, so won’t confuse her! 😉
However it was made plainly clear that no other birthday should ever involve kitchen appliances….
Baws. On the other hand does that mean i can crack open the toastie maker now?
andy4d
Full Member1st aid course and supplies…….
I think is probably the most sensible answer 😮
Scottish land and title? Or a star and a telescope
A bag of sweets. Too cold for an ice cream 🍦
Mrs B has just discovered Gunship via our (her) Google Nest thingy.
So she's getting a t-shirt and the Dark All Day LP (not for playing on the Nest.)
(She suspects nothing.)
Parts for her Volvo. That’s what MrsRNP is getting
You’re too late – 2 others had already suggested dildos.
Not the same thing. Dildos have the ****s on the outside.
Gunship
I think that's the worst record artwork I've ever seen! 😆
Oh Jesus you can take a powerkite and shove it up where the sun doesn’t shine..... so she got me one last year and couldn’t figure out for lover nor money why the damn thing wouldn’t stay in the air.... do they need EXTREMELY windy days or should for example 20mph winds be enough? It looked spot on but up in the air it’d just keep dropping.... so it got stuffed in the shed and forgotten about!
When she saw me trying to put the frame together for the tree painting I posted earlier she said -You are not selling that, I want it, I thought it was my Christmas present.
I think that's lovely.
[i]I think that’s lovely.[/i]
So did I but then today she said she desperately needs new clothes as she has hardly left the house since March and hasn't been able to buy anything. When I suggested that if she isn't going out then she doesn't need new clothes the glower I got suggested that some painting I had done might not be quite sufficient.
She did say she really liked the jewellery bowl I made but followed that up with 'Perhaps your mum might like that for Christmas' so failed again
Well, because I'm a hopeless romantic, she's got an 18v brushless DeWalt combi drill with 2 batteries!
Oh and some Bonsai stuff.
Me and Lyanda had a limit which wasn't stuck to very often. Although it was stuck to a lot more in recent years.
I was thinking of getting her a pottery course that year, thought maybe doing something like that would help with her dexterity as well as being a bit different. And fun, possibly.
From the kids we normally get a card and something they made in school. And I still get the token chocolate orange from them, one for my birthday and one for Xmas 2 days later.
Oh Jesus you can take a powerkite and shove it up where the sun doesn’t shine….. so she got me one last year and couldn’t figure out for lover nor money why the damn thing wouldn’t stay in the air…. do they need EXTREMELY windy days or should for example 20mph winds be enough?
Your brake lines are likely too short. 20mph winds should be taking you off your feet.
Or, y'know, it's just shit. What did you get?