What is the best thing you have bought for yourself this Christmas.

[Lillixyng]

Also what present are you most excited to give.
Mine is a zip up fur cardigan. I love it so much I have bought a second one, even though it will probably be cheaper in the sales.

My best present Is for my lovely DiL. It is 3 photo blocks photographs of her children which she admired. I asked her if she would like some copies and she said yes. She has probably forgotten. I have added another one of her dad with the eldest. Chatting away like he is 70 rather than his grandad. I often go out with her dad who was left a widower recently and this was taken in a cafe unbeknown to them.

I've got DH and I tickets to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. We're of an age where the original film holds great childhood memories plus we have been known to sing 'you're my little Coochie Face' to each other in the car. I know it's weird but our DD loved it when we did that.

She's all grown now and away at sea in the Navy, she won't be home this Christmas. She's 19.

Love this thread! OP, you sound like such a lovely MIL.

I'm most looking forward to my dds opening their stockings when they get back from their Dad's on Boxing Day. "Main" presents have had to be very small this year but they both love their stockings and I always get way more bits and pieces than I intend to. The dog gets involved as well, she's obsessed with opening presents and it's super cute.

For me, I've bought a few photo frames lately on Vinted, and have finally got round to ordering some wedding photos to go in them (we got married on 1 December last year). They should be here this week, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the photos up. Never got round to ordering the album as we hated most of the photos tbh, so it's about time.

My favourite things for myself are a tiny pot of caviar (DH would be welcome to have some, but he doesn't 'do' fish unless it's battered) and a kilo of king scallops (ditto re DH). Favourite thing for him (there's only the two of us) is an England rugby fleece, but he won't be getting that until his birthday in early January!

Such a nice thread!

For me, books. Far too many of them, and I do not care. Technically it's a very nice pair of earrings I've wanted for a while, but in all honesty I'm more excited about the books.

For DH: I bought him an extremely beautiful hand carved walking cane. He had a terrible accident years back and was trampled by a horse. He's fine now but limps and has hip and leg pain, and he's embarrassed to use a cane in public as he's only 40. This will suit his elegant historian vibe right down to the ground, and I hope helps him feel less ashamed when we're out and about.

Most excited to give DS2 his main present which is inheriting DS1s wooden play kitchen. DS2 is almost 2 and his favourite thing to do is pull the pans and utensils out when I’m in the kitchen and ‘cook.’

My eldest is 11 and he absolutely LOVED his play kitchen. It’s a corner one and was quite expensive but he played with it pretty much every day from being 3 to about 8. When he outgrew it we considered donating it as we had been trying and failing to have another DC for about 5 years but something made me keep it. We got our miracle last year and I’m so excited to pass this much loved kitchen on, he’s going to love it.

Deluxe top of the range lemsip, cough medicine and ibuprofen! Heck of a virus with so much coughing it's been so painful and made my chest and ribs hurt. Is this a national thing? X

LOVE M&S prawn cocktail! That, a big wedge of cheese, some grapes and some Chili Thai rice crackers is my idea of a perfect snack.

Ive bought myself some expensive boots I've wanted for a while and two bottles of my favourite Pommery Rose champagne. Which I will not share.

Presents I'm most excited to give are a sold out Zadig and Voltaire bag my dd isn't expecting to find in her stocking and ditto some ridiculously hard to find trainers for ds. DH I can't wait to give the beanie hat with a torch on the front for his early morning bike rides (we always buy a few daft things for one another).

For myself I have bought some gorgeous country boots, hair straighteners and a ring I have been eyeing up all year. They are wrapped and will come from Santa with my sons presents.

For others, my partner will be receiving an epic Lego set he has been drooling over recently. His 15 year old daughter saw a type writer when we were at a country house in autumn. she was fascinated, so I have bought her a 1950's working one and used YouTube to restore it. I really hope she loves it as much as I enjoyed getting it gift worthy.

Thank you so much. You have just inspired me to order one of these for my daughter's birthday. She will love it. I had no idea you could even get such things.

Best present is a first edition of a book for one of my DCs, related to their uni subject but it has been a favourite book of theirs for years. I've never found one that is affordable before, still the most expensive book I've ever bought. I know that they will be thrilled.

For me a piece of jewellery, definitely a splurge on something I wouldn't normally buy myself.

To give to someone else, I can't decide if it's the Snorlax Crocs for DS4 which he has been desperate for but are really hard to get in this country or the Oodie sleep t for my ddil. She has wanted one since they first appeared but can't justify spending that amount of money on something to sleep in.

I bought myself a bottle of Liz Earle body wash. It's only a small thing but it is a real indulgence for me and I truly love the smell of it.

@ssd this thread may inspire 😊

I’ve loved reading about all the lovely gifts to yourselves and your loved ones. Great thread.

I’ve gifted myself a very expensive (for me!), fancy sewing machine. Scrimped and saved all year. Bought nothing but the bare minimum for myself all year (bar fabric of course!). It has cool features which I hope will make my sewing more professional and efficient. It has an automatic threader, foot raise and thread cutting action and built like a tank. I have the day off tomorrow and I am playing with my new toy all day! I am oscillating between feeling dreadfully guilty and blissfully happy for spending so much money on myself, but it is done now, so I will just have to accept it.

Best gift for someone else - electric guitar and amp for 15 DD.

I have wanted to get my teeth whitened for years but didn't want to spend so much money on myself, this year I decided to go for it. I am thrilled with the results, it has given me such a boost it's actually unbelievable.

Not fair... I want to be in all of your families! These gifts are all so lovely, and so thoughtful.

Me treat to myself this year is some new fragrance. I got out of the habit I’d wearing perfume day to day so only buy cheap dupes for the very rare occasions I go out. This year, I got a whiff of a nice fine fragrance in JL and decided to treat myself to it.

They gift wrapped it for me as well.

I have bought quite a bit of lego for my daughter, but I also bought myself one of the lego botanical sets - the Chrysanthemum. It arrived today and I am so excited about it! I'd love the Star Wars Cloud City set but that costs hundreds...

Ahhh thank you so much!!! We’re not well off so we always have to think of other things to “bring the magic” and give him a special childhood!! I really hope he loves it!!!

For Ds, I've got him lots of bits and bobs but he's got a mad thing for Wallace and Gromit just now on account of the new film and he remembered he loves Top Trumps and dug his old cards out, so he'll love his Wallace and Gromit Top Trumps in his stocking!

For me, new trainers I've been looking at for months. Sold out everywhere but I managed to find some. I love them. 😍

Still need to get myself something(!), but favourite present for others is a light saber for DS6.

He's recently gotten into Star Wars and his face lit up when DH said he thought he still had his old ones... We're not sure where they are (and they're a bit basic, plasticy toys) so decided to get him a more realistic one with a metal handle that changes colour and makes noise.

He recently accidentally heard an Alexa notification about a light saber bring reduced in price on my Amazon wishlist (a different one I didn't get) and he got all excited thinking it was a delivery notification. I truthfully told him that it was a notification about being on a wishlist, but that maybe we could get him one for his (early Spring) birthday.

Please tell me where you got your zip up cardigan!

I'm a bit puzzled that you're all buying yourself gifts.
Loving the pirate presents!!!

Oh I love it. DH and others are great gift buyers, but they're always surprises. I love to treat myself to a few specific bits I know I'll make use of during the holiday. So books, earrings, a nice outfit, some luxury bath stuff, and I've bought a very specific comedy book thing (League of Gentlemen written by the creators/actors as the characters). I know DH would never think of that, he loves it but it's too niche a thing! But I fully intend to sit in the bath on Boxing Day, soaking in my fancy stuff and read that and giggle. 😂

For myself, (widowed and live alone), I was rather extravagant and bought this beautiful original painting of a tigress and cubs, titled “Fierce love”. I visited a local art group’s exhibition last month, and fell in love with it, although I had to shuffle a few other paintings around to accommodate it. It is in coloured pencil by a very talented artist. I have may original pieces, which give me much joy.

For my daughter - money! So she can choose something she likes.

The picture:

Most looking forward to giving - a JD carrier bag to DS(16) 😂.

He has driven me scatty for weeks moaning that the string on his old one broke and this is the only acceptable method of carrying one's PE kit to school. He made a stand this morning after refusing all my suggested alternatives and took a Tesco carrier bag. So I went into town and paid 20p for a nice shiny new JD one that I have wrapped up for Xmas.

He will absolute howl laughing and totally appreciate the sentiment!!

I've bought myself a new bike..... 🚲