Help me with my gifts please?

[ElvesNeeded]

I love Christmas and I am lucky I have a large extended family who I will see on Christmas Day, but this year circumstances mean my brain is frazzled and I have no time to go browsing, and even limited time for online browsing. I've begged for lists and ideas but so little is forthcoming. They will nearly all get my DC something and most my DH & I too, so I want to get something nice for everyone. My issue is I overthink things. E.g. for kids, I don't know how parents would react to sweets... I probably just need to not worry but it stresses me every year and this year is worse than most.

Any suggestions please for (with budgets):

1. Boy, 15, no idea on likes/dislikes. Prob more outdoors than computer games. £10
2. Boy, 17, likes computer games and animals. £15-£20
3. Boy, 15, sporty & academic. £15-£20
4. Boy, 13, likes computer games. £15-£20
5. Boy 15, not sure of likes £15-£20
6. Boy 13, not sure of likes £15-£20
7. Girl 14, not sure of likes £10
8. Older adult female. Likes gardening but struggles physically. Likes books. £25-£30
9. Older adult male: Likes gardening and sailing and reading, £15

10. Middle aged adult couple. Something interesting food/drink related could work. £20-£25 11. Adult male, likes outdoors and photography. £10-£15

Any ideas would be amazing, thank you

Try the local shops. You might be within walking distance of a bike shop indeed so start there in addition.

For books, look on Amazon etc.

This is only a idea, you could even hire a hall and do a themed festive afternoon tea party type thing one day prior to Xmas Day. Or you can book a slot for a proper festive afternoon tea at a hotel, cafe or tea room close by as well, good luck. There are animal calendars available now, see if you can buy one too.

Photography is a great hobby. I think there are specialist magazines on the topic, get one as they might even have useful tips and recommendations. Other ideas include student workbooks and tickets to any public sporting event.

Start by buying everyone a £10 book token.

Add chocolate.

And yes, you’re totally overthinking the sweets/parents might not like it issue. They’re all teens, not toddlers.

I'd buy all the teenagers a box of sweets and a gift voucher for something like Amazon, Costa, or one covering a range of shops. Unimaginative but most seems to like them

Would you feel ok to give the children all a voucher and some chocolates? That would be the easiest and probably best received I would imagine.

@NoSquirrels

Start by buying everyone a £10 book token.

Add chocolate.

Yeah this to be honest. If you don't know them well enough to have any idea of likes and dislikes, and they can't even be bothered to send you some ideas or a list, I would just go generic.

It's not worth stressing about if people aren't helping you with ideas. I was going to suggest Amazon vouchers for all the teens, and the adult readers. I don't think you need to give them chocolate too but if you wanted to add something, go for it. Chocolate at Christmas is absolutely fine.

Middle aged adult couple. Something interesting food/drink related £20-£25: Something like this wine set ? We'd love that

Adult male, likes outdoors and photography. £10-£15: maybe fingerless gloves to keep hands warm but nimble while taking photos

Virgin red letter days have some bargains for couples?

For the teenagers, I'd look at something like the Happy Puzzle Company, which has lots of games and logic puzzles etc. This would give them something to do on Christmas day, which is often very welcome for teenagers, especially if there are younger ones around, who get toys to play with.

All teenagers - Amazon voucher plus chocolate selection pack
All adults - book token
Couple - have a look in the M&S food hall or Waitrose Christmas section. Panettone and a bottle of gin liquer?

Re-useable coffee cup (Starbucks?) and a drinks voucher popped inside. That's what I've done for some of my 'awkward' teens. The cup was £3 and the voucher either £10 or £20 depending.

@ElvesNeeded

I love Christmas and I am lucky I have a large extended family who I will see on Christmas Day, but this year circumstances mean my brain is frazzled and I have no time to go browsing, and even limited time for online browsing. I've begged for lists and ideas but so little is forthcoming. They will nearly all get my DC something and most my DH & I too, so I want to get something nice for everyone. My issue is I overthink things. E.g. for kids, I don't know how parents would react to sweets... I probably just need to not worry but it stresses me every year and this year is worse than most.

Any suggestions please for (with budgets):

1. Boy, 15, no idea on likes/dislikes. Prob more outdoors than computer games. £10
2. Boy, 17, likes computer games and animals. £15-£20
3. Boy, 15, sporty & academic. £15-£20
4. Boy, 13, likes computer games. £15-£20
5. Boy 15, not sure of likes £15-£20
6. Boy 13, not sure of likes £15-£20
7. Girl 14, not sure of likes £10
8. Older adult female. Likes gardening but struggles physically. Likes books. £25-£30
9. Older adult male: Likes gardening and sailing and reading, £15

10. Middle aged adult couple. Something interesting food/drink related could work. £20-£25 11. Adult male, likes outdoors and photography. £10-£15

Any ideas would be amazing, thank you

For the teens I would go amazon voucher and a selection box. Dd1 is 13, she loves a chocolate bar and is often saving for newest computer game, book or something for her room/headphones etc.

8 and 9. Either a voucher for books, maybe a nice plant pot or garden ornament.

Middle aged couple a restaurant voucher. Or maybe a nice hamper of snacks or one of the light up gins. Aldi had some too as well as M&S.

11. Some decent thermal socks/gloves or snood type thing.

Amazon vouchers and chocolates all round. Bring a board game or something to share.

1-7 - a selection of cool stuff from here:
americancandyco.co.uk/collections/american-sweets

1. Older adult female. Likes gardening but struggles physically. Likes books. £25-£30

A window bird feeder and a novel (Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason?)

1. Older adult male: Likes gardening and sailing and reading, £15

A travel book (The Journey Matters - Jonathan Glancey?)

10. Middle aged adult couple. Something interesting food/drink related could work. £20-£25
    Online voucher La Fromagerie

11. Adult male, likes outdoors and photography. £10-£15
    Mini thermos

Teenagers really only want cash - even vouchers are tricky, I used to have to 'buy' endless vouchers off my teenage DS as they were for shops he wouldn't dream of using (WH Smith? ).

Nice food/wine/plant for adults .... don't over think it - I manage a charity shop and we are inundated with unwanted Christmas gifts in the New Year .......

For No 10. what about:-

www.spicepots.com/products/curry-cookbook-kit

Money in a card for all the teens.

Hat and gloves each for the teens. Asos has items to fit that budget. Scarf each for the adults. Again Asos or m&s? Good luck xx

That sounds like such hard work. Why not get all of them an Amazon voucher and a selection box?

For the teenagers - cake in a mug sachets /retro sweets/ portable power bank for charging mobile devices .

For the gardener - ratchet secateurs and gardening gloves .

Middle aged couple - nice bottle of wine or some foodie item . Macaroons or florentines are always nice .

Boys of all ages
Bamboo truck style boxers
Lazy panda from sock shop are good

www.sockshop.co.uk/products/mens-3-pack-sockshop-lazy-panda-bamboo-hipster-briefs?colour=Black
Add some bamboo socks for those with a bigger budget
www.sockshop.co.uk/shop/mens-socks/material/bamboo

Girl 14
Long over the knee bamboo socks
www.sockshop.co.uk/products/ladies_2_pair_elle_plain_bamboo_over_the_knee_sock?colour=Black

Older woman who likes gardening welly socks

www.sockshop.co.uk/products/ladies-1-pair-sockshop-heat-holders-2-3-tog-hellebore-cosy-cuff-boot-socks?colour=Pink%20Stripe
And a gardening journal. There are some nice ones on Amazon.

Older male number 9
Welly socks
www.sockshop.co.uk/products/mens-1-pair-workforce-wellington-boot-socks?colour=Green
And
A sailing key float
www.amazon.co.uk/Key-Float-Floating-ring-Keychain/dp/B01DU894Y6/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1F36J0NJHRE99&keywords=sailing+gifts&sprefix=Sailing%2Caps%2C190&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1638286529&sr=8-5

11 male who likes outdoors
Walking socks

www.sockshop.co.uk/products/j_alex_swift_knee_length_wool_rib_walking_socks?colour=Fawn

10 couple a Cornish tea hamper

www.devonhampers.com/cream-tea-hampers/cornish-cream-tea-biscuit-hamper/?gid=10&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8bSB3bXA9AIVgZ7tCh18oQSdEAQYCyABEgLiI_D_BwE#packaging:Standard+Box

1 to 7 Amazon voucher and chocolate money
8 to 9 book voucher
10. Hamper of yummy food treats
11. Bottle of alcohol, bottle of good wine. If doesn’t drink small hamper of food treats.

Girl 14 -
Percy pigs
Hotel Chocolat Selectors x2
Lush bath bombs x2
Fluffy socks from Primark

Any combination of the above is likely to work.