Does your DH get a surprise on Christmas morning ?

The men think we other halves have a magic wand which does all the present shopping, wrapping, card writing and posting, tree buying and decorating, food shopping and baking etc. Well mine does. He would quite happily let it all go by if he could. I refuse to do anything other than enjoy every minute for the whole duration.

In some parts of Scotland, 'totties' are tatties - or potatoes!

I was in the same situation, throw in Christmas cards. I would do them all excel for his sister and his “totties” - his lovely women assistants in the various branches he managed

Not a description (“totties”) you could get away with nowadays!

Imarocker

HowVeryDareYou2

My husband has never bought a card or present for anyone (except me) in 44 years of marriage. He pays for it, though . If he outlives me, he'll just give everyone a bit of cash.

Same for me in over 55 years. If he outlives me nobody will get anything at all and he will probably live in squalor.

Our house would be tidyier.
But almost empty. And sticky[basic clean only].
In reality what he would do is try and live with someone else, think he is not in the way at all, throw them some money at them, and expect to just sit there, while thinking everything is rosy in the garden with the new situation of who he has landed on.

Katyj

Aah well that’s reassuring I’m not on my own. I’m planning to come back as a man !
I’ve a feeling though our men wouldn’t get away with it these days.

Definitely! My DS and SiL have to buy presents for their own siblings and partners. Also responsible for remembering their birthdays . I don’t think my DH ever bought or sent cards for his parents or siblings . Women today ensure that there is much more equity in a partnership! .

No surprise as he has never bought gifts for anyone, other than me[up to a few years ago, when we agreed i would get my own and show him afterwards].

Our slight problem is he would spend more money on them all than me.
We already spend plenty in my opinion.
Even one or two of the kids have asked for it to be cut down, so i am doing it gradually.

HowVeryDareYou2

My husband has never bought a card or present for anyone (except me) in 44 years of marriage. He pays for it, though . If he outlives me, he'll just give everyone a bit of cash.

Same for me in over 55 years. If he outlives me nobody will get anything at all and he will probably live in squalor.

My dh always went out Christmas Eve to buy my present. This annoyed me as I used to do everything relating to presents, cards, etc etc.etc. So one year I decided I would buy my own present from him and then tell him. So had seen an expensive box of oil paints in the window of a local art shop. Thought I would look at that but it had gone. So headed for another shop which sold what was popular then a combination radio, cd player which was again quite expensive as a good make. I told him that I had ordered it and the price and why I had decided I didn’t want a last minute present. I saw his face move in an odd way but thought it was the price. However, I discovered why on Christmas morning when I got my radio etc and also the lovely paints which had been hidden on his request by my daughter. After that he always sorted my present out well before Christmas Eve.

Well, he sees all the wish lists because he they get sent around the immediate family, he knows, in theory, what is being bought for each person because I tell him and sometimes he is with me when we buy things.

We recently bought DD something (not on her wish list) because we saw it in a shop and both immediately knew she would love it. If when she unwraps it he looks at it blankly, as if he has never seen it before. I will dot him one

Except for…😡

Katyj

62Granny. Unfortunately he’s not very good at wrapping either. And he always prefers me to write everything, says my handwriting is much neater. I’ll have to think of something else he can do. 🤣

I was in the same situation, throw in Christmas cards. I would do them all excel or his sister and his “totties” - his lovely women assistants in the various branches he managed.
Letter, I did include him in the shopping which he decided he enjoyed, especially choosing presents for the GCs.
Now? I let DD choose/buy everything, so much easier and I know absolutely that they are things that they want.

Oh good luck B9 At least you’ll be able to give him instructions. Put your feet up while you can.

I have always done the lot, DH just wraps his presents to me. I give him the labels to sign, but he invariably misses one or two, to the huge delight of the grandchildren at receiving a present 'love from Granny and ' But this year I have only one hand, he will have to step up, and he is already panicking about stuffing the turkey!

My husband has never bought a card or present for anyone (except me) in 44 years of marriage. He pays for it, though . If he outlives me, he'll just give everyone a bit of cash.

Grannynannywanny

A few years ago my son and Dil were joining us for Christmas Day at my daughter’s house. Before setting off from home on Xmas Eve my son texted to say they’d forgotten to buy a gift for my daughter’s parents in law. I said not to worry, I’d wrap a box of M&S biscuits and slip them to him.

By the following day that conversation seemed to have slipped his mind. Amidst all the excitement of arriving at my daughter’s house, children bursting with excitement etc I discreetly gave the gift to my son and reminded him why I had it.

After dinner we opened our gifts and my son duly opened the gift he was supposed to hand to my daughter’s parents in law. Then for good measure he thanked them and said they were his favourite biscuits 🙈

It must have been the wine …. 🤣

MissInterpreted

I also thought the OP meant a completely different kind of surprise for their OH!

I was thinking along the same lines 🤭

Allira

Mine does do other jobs I prefer not to!

Well that’s about right. My DH is good at a lot of things. But, as for gifts and cards, he just can’t do it.
Also I remember when my grandmother died, my grandfather said well, nobody will get cards or presents any more. And we didn’t!

I’ve always done all the present shopping - and thinking of what to buy. Dates back to when dh was always working v long hours in a v demanding job, and I was only ever part time. He wouldn’t have a clue what to get anybody anyway, though he does always get me something, and we do stockings for each other.

To save him racking his brains in the past, I’ve put a printout on his desk with size, style and colour clearly circled! Works a treat. 🙂
We’ve stopped all older generation presents now though - except for nice edibles!

Aah well that’s reassuring I’m not on my own. I’m planning to come back as a man !
I’ve a feeling though our men wouldn’t get away with it these days.

Mine does do other jobs I prefer not to!

The saying “Why keep a dog and bark yourself “springs to mind
Lots of men are like that. I’ve got one

I do it all , buy, wrap , label . Prefer it that way.

He used too. When we were being thanked he'd often whisper what did we get him/her but now as we only tend to buy for one another it isn't a problem.

Clutching my light up Christmas necklace - My goodness Katyj, what a question!

haha... yes, my DH is not much involved in choosing or purchasing, but the last few years he has done the wrapping, so he is aware of what the gifts are!

My OH has never had a clue what to buy at Xmas,I do it all and is so boring and exhausting, I even get something for him and then something for me from him.
Is our 46th anniversary Xmas eve, doubtless my DDs will be in charge, this is something I refuse to have anything to do with.