What does mum get for Christmas? (I mean you! :-) )

[Madonna9]

I'm thinking about getting something practical for myself (wanted to get an expensive kitchen appliance anyway) but I'd like to add something 'luxurious'. Made me wonder what you get yourself for Christmas?
Or does your DH buy a present for you?

DH buys for me but we have a strict £25 limit. Much prefer this to spending zillions as it means you have to think creatively. Also I find that, by present-opening time, I feel a bit sick at all the excess and having a carefully chosen but unextravagant gift feels much nicer.

DH and I exchange long lists, he shares some items with his family and I do the same. We also do surprises for each other. We then just buy a couple of things on the list, so they often get carried over year after year - DH has had "Rolex" on his list for many years

My current list has some earrings, a coat, some new Stan Smiths, a succulent plant, some Aesop smelly stuff, a few books, a Jo Loves fragrance that I like, and some other jewellery. I will probably add a board game or puzzle and some other reasonably priced stuff for our families to buy if they ask. Maybe a nice bottle of gin .

listsandbudgets - vitamin tablets! OMG - you must have had to arrange your face very carefully .

A few years ago DH and I decided to buy our own stockings, apart from a couple of surprises form each other. I bloody love it! Get to choose exactly what I want without feeling guilty. We don't do main presents for each other so this is my treat to myself! To answer your question I haven't thought of exact presents to myself yet, but I will....

DH and I choose a city break to look forward to in the spring as our joint Christmas present to ourselves . We’ve been doing this for the last four years and we love it. Something to look forward to plus we don’t have the pressure of trying to find a gift when usually neither of us particularly wants anything.

We generally buy each other posh chocs or a bottle of something nice to open on the day and we each take the dc to buy the other a small gift as they love the whole exchange of gifts.

Do you right stuff down throughout the year ? I don't think I could come up with something I need if asked on the spot.. but it's never occurred to me to write a list throughout the year.

And I'd never thought of buying myself something for Christmas - I tend to buy something if I need it but avoid November-January as Christmas, two lots of car insurance, MOTs and services, plus dentist appointments means they are lean months...

I have a 9 month old appalling sleeper. Think 4-8 times up per night, every night, bf too so it's just me she wants.

I've asked for a night away in a hotel by myself!!!

Happy to pay for it myself, happy for it to be just a travelodge. What I'm really asking for is a full night's sleep, which I know I won't get at home, no matter what we try.

BUT the dream is it'll be a 5* spa hotel where I can spoil myself rotten in the spa, preferably have a massage, then Potter back to the absolutely gorgeous room, pop open a bottle of champagne, slob on the enormous bed in my fluffy robe watching whatever I choose on telly and order a disgusting amount of room service. Fall asleep at 9pm and sleep undisturbed until 9am when my enormous room arrive breakfast arrives. Continue to slob until 2pm (late checkout of course!!) then get collected by my adoring family who have missed me so much they resolve to let me sleep the whole night from then on because they can't bear being away from me...

Can you tell I dream about this every single day?

I tell my husband a few things I would like then I normally get some of them and others he chooses.
I really want a ruby ring for Christmas this year. I asked for one last year but got a Rolex no complaints!!

DH is very good at present buying, though I also sometimes give him shortlists. He tends to pick things from that but also gets surprise things he thinks I'll like.

Canihavecoffee I too have a bad sleeper. He is a bit better now he's 3 but still up twice a night. What you describe has been my dream for the last 3 years. I always say to DH I couldn't imagine having an affair. If I ever disappear it would be to a hotel on my own All I want is a bed with clean white sheets (that I won't have to wash),someone to bring me yummy food in bed, be able to watch trashy tv and read my book and to sleep totally uninterrupted and wake up slowly. There's no way I'd share that with anyone

Canihavecoffee I had 2 appalling sleepers (DD1 didn’t sleep through until 3.5, DD2 came along when DD1 was 20 months old and was up every 40 mins for a year). Twice DH has booked me into a hotel for a night! Once was just last minute at a local Hilton so that I could get interrupted sleep, once was a gorgeous spa hotel with a massage booked. Best presents ever!

canihavecoffee please you have my deep sympathy. I went through a stage whwn I fantasied about being admitted to hoslital with something non fatal but highly contagious so theyd put me in a side room. Something that lots of sleep was an accepted side effect of!

I give DH a list and then he gets that (mostly) plus anything else he sees that he thinks I'll like/use/he finds hilarious.

DH gets mine, I normally tell him a few things I want/need and he normally gets me a surprise or two as well.

I drop massive hints but it's always a bit hit & miss with DP. I often get vouchers but he has really pleasantly surprised me a few times.

I buy myself two a beauty advent calendar as a treat to enjoy in the run up, just in case.

me and dh both write a little list, and we pick 3 things for each other of them, so although we get what we want there is still a surprise element to it

Dh and I are going to go shopping one late night, have dinner and buy our own Christmas presents together so I know I’m getting exactly what I want. My planned list has a lush bath bomb, Pandora Disney charm, an Emma Bridgewater mug, cereal bowl and mini tray, and probably some clothes on it.
I would be incredibly happy to receive anything Joseph Joseph though. I love their storage solutions for the kitchen and it makes me feel like a proper grown up to get excited over that too

canihave
Ds3 is also an awful sleeper. Easily up 5-6 times a night, sometimes more, but luckily dh can see to him as well. He is 2 in December and we both work full time so are absolutely knackered all the time. On the childminders recommendation we gave him phenegan (sp??) last night. Just 2.5ml and he slept 8pm-6am only waking once! It was incredible!!

And to think i used to say ds1 was a bad sleeper because he would wake up once in the night until he was 13months.....

DH and i have a €25 limit, but not a target. Then we buy something for the house (new dining chairs, sideboard etc) as that is what we need most.

It feels daft spending money on each other, but it is good that dc see us exchange gifts.

I usually buy a book or something like portable charger for my mobile phone to put in my stocking. And chocolates, can't forget the chocolates!

I normally give DH some ideas. This year I'm thinking I just want some running trainers so we'll go to the shop in the Jan sales (will get little things from the children)

I get jewelry accessories from dh as he knows i love those kinds of stuff.