What do you put on you Christmas list, if you have what you need already .

Ruby, I appreciated your reference to Blackpool rock, which is why I liked the idea. Yes Frank does play a mean ukulele, but like George Formby he also plays the banjolele or ukulele banjo.

No I live in North Essex, a wee way from Blackpool.

I was joking Wobbly it was with reference to George Formby. I live about an hour away from Blackpool, not been for a few years though.

Frank Skinner is a keen ukulele player, he's really good and goes to the George Formby conventions in Blackpool. Do you live nearby?

Thank you, I love the craft ideas. This is something they can do with me when they come to stay.

Ruby, you may have been joking, but that does appeal to my SOH, does anyone live in Blackpool ?

Flossie I have bought myself some things this year as I don't get much from anyone else. Things I have bought:-

Temporary tattoos
Colouring book
Crayons
Jigsaws
Small portable radio
Magnetic therapy bangle
Ladybird book: How it works - The Grandparent
Retro sweets
Aluminium card blocking holder
Artist brushes
Paints
Canvases
Easel
Lucky bag
Handbag . . .

. . . oh, and I bought myself a hamster too, complete with cage and all his toys and accessories. He is one cute dude!

If you want something more personal, then:

Moonpig photo mug,
Scrap book of the childrens photos/pictures/where they have been (pamphlets)
Family tree photo frame
Home made bunting
Sets of jewellery making/candle making/decoupage/knitting set/cookery/baking (all to be done with the children in the new year)
Board games (traditional, fun, again to be played with the children on the day and then afterwards when they visit)
A pet?

If it was me, I would ask for something that I could share with the children and make memories for you all. A scarf doesn't really make any memories, not for me anyway. I love craft things though and would love to teach my DGC about various crafts but I don't get to see mine. Whatever you do, enjoy the day.

Wobbly You could always just get the little stick of Blackpool rock!

Oh well, that's the mirror off the Christmas list. We had seen one at £200 that we sort of liked at John Lewis, but not exactly what we had in mind. Went to The Range this afternoon, found exactly what we had in mind for £22 !!!!
Back to thinking what to get each other now (I did see a ukulele I fancied, but at £1200, I doubt I will ever have enough brownie points )

I don't know this but DH has bought me two Roman coins. I'm so excited and can't wait to be surprised

We've said we only want "consumables" as we already have so much junk treasure. So things to eat, drink and smellies.

I love the idea of charity gifts although do have concerns about the large salaries of CEOs that we keep hearing about . In our family we decided a few years ago that we would all just buy for the children , what a relief it is . So I guess the answer is that there is nothing I want except to have a nice day with family .

I've asked for a gift card for a local spa the past few years. It means I can have a massage when I wouldn't normally pay for it myself-gorgeous. Also, theatre vouchers are a good idea.

I just quote Edina Monsoon and ask DD to give me "Gorgeous things Darling - from a shop window with lots of hessian" She interprets that as it suits her at the time

My children know that I'm always happy to get perfume, earrings, a nice scarf, flowers and this year I've added Rituals Rice Milk and Cherry body lotion. I found this at a hotel and love the smell and as I've taken to lathering the legs to stop them getting dry I think it will be quite luxurious.

What about a Teasmade? We had one that eventually gave up the ghost years ago. That was my present last year and it's soooo nice. Especially when I had the flu recently - my husband can't manage to bring tea upstairs so it came into its own.

Ask fr a photo of all the children / grandchildren together in a nice frame.

Three of my most successful presents have been my Kindle, my iPOD and my iPhone, all given by clubbing together. Another lovely gift was a Spa visit for DDs and me given by our husbands, with a treatment and dinner.

WE just don't know what to buy each other for Christmas. We did think about jointly buying an Art deco wall mirror, but we cannot find one we like, have scoured the internet. Also our children don't want us to buy the GC much as they have too much already, they are spaced so that each gets hand me downs. Even I, don't want another Ukulele.

A soft fluffy dressing gown. (Not for me as I love my onesie.)
I shall ask for fingerless mittens to wear when I am using the computer, which is in a rather cold room.

I think the best present I ever got my own mother was a photo, but one I'd had 'doctored'.
There was a very old, very small, black and white snap of her mother, her elder sister aged about 2, and her granny. She had never really got on with her sister, so I had the snap blown up, cut the sister right out (!) and put the blown up pics of her mother and her granny into a really nice frame with two side by side ovals.
I wasn't with her that Christmas, but my father told me afterwards that he'd never seen her so pleased with anything.

Just to be clear, they ask me to give a long list so that they and the grandchildren can choose something from it. I spend lots of days out with them. They all love Christmas and have their own way of doing thing which I am happy to go along with. One of their traditions is gift giving while lunch is cooking. The children get more excited about other people's presents. The thank you's, the hugs, the how did you know what I wanted. I just posted, because as I get older, I don't know what to put on the list.

For me? I have no idea...

But for friends [mostly elderly] I have given them : A veggie box once a month for 6 months; a book of vouchers of things for me to give over time - things like a cake, granny-sitting, an outing to a coffee shop or whatever, clean the brass/silver, and so on. They were all greeted with great pleasure and used! If only the DCs would do something like that for me; they insist on spending money rather than time on me!

I chose time - short or long but a chance to be one to one with the person who wants to give me a present. Go to the cinema or a talk or have a coffee or inexpensive meal. Time please

.......or food? Though that could be heavy to take on a train.

DH and the children were so generous when it was my birthday recently, I would rather they didn't have to get me anything else ever! We have given theatre vouchers and cinema tickets in the past and they have always gone down well.

Flossie
Have you tried Beauty Naturals on line? They have some lovely stuff. The Martha Hill Evening Primrose moisturiser is the only one I can use now, even Simple makes my eyes itch but the Martha Hill stuff can be slathered on and is very good.