Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Gifts from your other half

28 replies

Cherryrainbow · 02/10/2019 19:32

Just curious, do you provide them a list of ideas, leave them to their own free will and imaginations, anything else? I know someone who buys their own presents and asks their partner to wrap them.

Normally I send him an Amazon wish list but I thought I'd leave him to it this year... could be interesting lol

OP posts:
banskuwansku · 02/10/2019 19:37

I usually choose what I want and he gets it. It works well for us. I choose something more luxurious I wouldn't get by myself. He doesn't need to think anything. I do get him a surprise present though.

incontrolofmyownlife · 02/10/2019 19:38

DH is a great present buyer!

I'd only give him a suggestion if it was something I really wanted/too unusual he'd think to get me. Otherwise I just let him shop for me himself. Grin

Astraj · 02/10/2019 19:45

I will tell hubby if I want anything particular, and every year I get the basics like pjs, slippers, new perfume and chocolates and he will get me some surprises.
He is very good at buying gifts for me, I'm alway very happy.

Babdoc · 02/10/2019 19:52

DH died 28 years ago, but he was always brilliant at choosing wonderful surprise presents that I actually wanted. He died the day before my birthday and I found my birthday presents hidden in his car, weeks later when I was cleaning it for sale. Since losing him, I buy myself something nice each year and pretend it’s from him.

EmpressJewel · 02/10/2019 19:53

We discuss what we are getting each other. I’d much rather get something I actually want, than be surprised with something I’m not keen on. OH says that he would like to surprise me, but he hates shopping, so I can’t see that working well...

I’m going to give him a suggestions list of stuff I would like and he can choose items himself.

One year, I ended up buying my own present. I told OH what I wanted, but when I was out shopping, I found the item reduced. The shop was on the other side of London from where we live and it seemed silly for OH to either pay full price for the item or for him to travel across London fo pick it up, so I did.

Alarae · 02/10/2019 19:58

We reduced our limit to £20 each last year, with no suggestions on what we wanted.

He got me the best present ever. It was an avocado pendant. I know he put a lot of thought and effort into finding one as its our inside joke.

Another year he got me a box of Lion bars (48) and a soft blanket with foot holes as my feet get cold.

He's a good'un.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 02/10/2019 20:06

I order my main present (books) and wrap them. He would happily buy for me but I hate surprises and much prefer to choose what I want myself.

Dh will usually get me a small present as well as fill my stocking and now our dc are getting a bit older dc1 wants to be involved with choosing something for me because he gets to help me pick for daddy and doesn't think it's fair that daddy doesn't go shopping for me. Last year's contribution from dc1 was a wooden dinosaur.

MrsJasonIsbell · 02/10/2019 20:16

Babdoc that is really beautiful 😍

ravenshope · 03/10/2019 08:59

oh Babdoc that's lovely.

earlynightneeded · 03/10/2019 09:08

Dp is generous but a terrible gift buyer. I usually hint subtly and say oooo this is nice etc. He does ask me but usually a week before Christmas!!!

Buddyelf · 03/10/2019 09:16

Dp is generous but a terrible gift buyer

My DH is a bit like this. Past couple of birthdays/christmas' hes been much better but in the past I have had some bloody awful gifts. We laugh about them now! Having said that I do tend to ask for specifics if there is something I need/want. There are 2 things I want this year and I have sent him the links. He will probably get me a few surprises as well. We have a big holiday booked next year so we are trying to minimise spending on each other at the minute.

valentinoandme · 03/10/2019 13:11

I buy stuff for myself when I see it on offer, etc then give it to him to wrap! This way I get stuff I actually want/need. If I left it to DH, he'd be out wandering aimlessly round the shops on Christmas Eve!

pelirocco123 · 03/10/2019 13:17

We don't buy each other gifts , if we want anything we would buy it anyway , and we would end up buying each other random crap ( out of joint finances lol )
To buy yourself something , for your partner to wrap is a new level of madness on me !

reluctantbrit · 03/10/2019 13:42

He gets an email with the exact item. Just saying "I would like an umbrella" would mean I get one but one he thinks the most practial for him not for me.

After several years of hm this works a lot better.

Butteflyone1 · 03/10/2019 13:47

I sent my DP a list of items for my birthday, all around £10-20 expecting him to pick a couple off the list (as I said to) and he ended up buying them all bless him.

For Christmas, I might leave him to it as I really don't need anything so anything is a bonus.

randomusername · 03/10/2019 14:19

We usually both request something we want or need (we don't have a huge income so would rather we got something the other had actually wanted!) and sometimes get a surprise too.

ButchBitch · 03/10/2019 14:23

I never ever give DP a list. I just don't get people who do this - where's the fun? Where's the surprise?

My mother does this, asks me to send her a list of what me and DP want. To me, that shows very little care, creativity, or imagination. It's also boring to receive presents that you've been expecting since November because you sent a list.

If I want something, either DP will just buy it because I've mentioned it in passing and he'll have remembered. Or, I just buy it myself. Presents from DP are a complete surprise.

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 03/10/2019 14:25

I buy my own, it's easier and money isn't wasted on something I don't want or like

Whitecandle · 03/10/2019 14:39

We just do each other a stocking 😊

LemonPrism · 03/10/2019 18:35

I tell him what I want and he gets it

Zaphodsotherhead · 03/10/2019 18:44

My last XP had never done Christmas. Never. He and his family all tell each other what they've bought for themselves, and then they each give each other the money for it.

I tried to educate him into surprises, but he had absolutely no idea. I'd walk around town saying 'ooh, that's nice'! Or 'I could do with one of those!' and I'd get the cheapest copy item that he could find in the local knock-off shop. Or something completely random because he panicked (last Christmas I got four identical boxes of chocolates. Because I like chocolate...apparently).

Glad to be single.

bellsbuss · 03/10/2019 18:48

I do a list but he will always get me some nice surprises too.

HotChocolateLover · 03/10/2019 18:51

When I tell him what I want it’s great otherwise I often get something random. Last year I got a cocktail making kit 🤔 I like drinking them dear, not making them hic. He uses it more than I do xx

Squirrelblanket · 03/10/2019 19:00

We decide on a budget first. Then we usually get each other something we want, which we discuss, but make sure that it doesn't take the whole budget so we can also surprise each other.

He's a bit hit and miss with gifts he chooses himself. I feel awful saying that because he does try hard. I'm always super grateful though when I open stuff even when I'm thinking 'why have you got me this?' Grin

WellTidy · 03/10/2019 19:13

I very specifically tell DH what I want. I provide a list and he chooses from it. That said, if I see something I want and it is reduced, I buy it myself and give it to him. We share all our money so I would rather that the part of the gift that I’ve paid for is actually something I want.

We’ve arrived at this after DH getting it oh so very wrong on christmases past. He is generous, but I don’t like the waste of having something that I won’t use.

DH does get me a stocking of small things that he has chosen himself too.