Surprise gifts for yourself

[Christmastreejoy]

Can anyone recommend any nice surprise/mystery gifts I could get myself so I have a couple of surprises Christmas Day? I have bought myself a couple of presents so I have things to open as my husband doesn’t do gifts (don’t get me started on this as it’s a really annoyance tbh) but I always feel a bit sad when everyone else is opening stocking etc and I’m opening mine knowing what they are before I start. I don’t do make up etc but like stationary and arty stuff. Wondering if anywhere does mystery gifts that are actually nice and not just a collection of things that haven’t sold well in the store generally?

Thanks

@HelloCovid
“Wait until menopause and anything you bought over a week ago will be a surprise in my experience confused”

Yes, this exactly.

I really want to gift myself a National Theatre subscription...with the pandemic (cev) and a baby on the way, I don't think I'll be seeing the bright lights of the stage IRL anytime soon. After this thread, I might just do it I am normally in charge of the Xmas presents and usually get myself PJ's and a book

@BertieBotts

Should do a MN secret santa next year!

Is it still going on?

I remember getting involved a couple of times years ago … Spent stupid amounts on complete strangers (the first gave no response whatsoever, the second was delighted). But the general 🎄thread rowing, outrage and fury seemed to go on for months.

can sympathise. My husband is like this as well. Generally just splashes out on the children while I make sure everyone gets nice gifts from us and Santa, including him. He'll tell me he's got no money and will then splash out a few £££ more on the kids or himself. “I've taken on the duty of stuffing my own stocking and had also started to buy myself a few little gifts and then give them to my husband to give to me because he never does. At least that way I can be part of the Christmas 'fun' in the morning.”

This is one of the sadder things I’ve read in over a decade on MN.

@stinkycheeseman

...santa's cookies?

Amazing idea!

This is so sad. There's really no excuse for it and I'm surprised how many posters have said they are in a similar situation.

I am a lone parent but my nanny let my children loose in the shops with their pocket money so I will be getting some surprises, apparently.

@HelloCovid

Wait until menopause and anything you bought over a week ago will be a surprise in my experience

So true!

I bet if you went into a local independent gift boutique they would happily wrap you small items in tissue paper upto the value of X.

My Dh likes buying me things, but they’re not always great.so, n the weeks before Christmas,if Ilike something, I send him the link, but I dont know which bits I will get.. I think that you need to explain that we give gifts to show our love and appreciation, and so his not giving you anything sends a very clear message and surely can’t be right ? Tell him a figure and say that you expect thoughtful gifts to that amount, and here’s your wish list. I also think that children should be helped to buy gifts from a very young age. It’s very exciting and helps them to express themselves and to understand altruism, reciprocity, budgeting and the dark art of gift wrapping. All good. You bloody deserve some gifts!
I know some people agree to no gifts, and that’s up to them

I've treated myself to an electric toothbrush- a nice pink one

Also a Liz Earl gift set (with cleanser toner mask etc)

A scarf with little pearls sewn in

I'm going to wrap them up for myself too

Sorry, posted too soon, but it’s not immature or grasping to want the same love and care you show to your family to be returned. And it really isn’t about money . I’ve received made gifts, promises, poems and performances and loved them all. The most popular gift in our family last year was that we each received a digitised form of the family photos. It took my Dh hours, but cost very little.
I hope you have a lovely Christmas.

Thanks everyone some great ideas there I’m going to look through. Sorry so many others have equally lazy partners!

I did laugh at the drunk ordering and menopause comments though 😂 I did mean to wrap mine as they arrived this year but left it all too late.

yes this is def what gets me. I do all the kids shopping and the gifts for his family. I don’t have any family of my own who we see as my mum passed away a few years ago and I don’t have contact with my dad. It would just be nice for some of that time and thought to be returned. I could spend a fortune on gifts for myself but it wouldn’t take that sting away tbh.
He is great in other ways but yeah the gift thing sucks

Why do you buy something for him when he buys nothing for you, repeatedly, to the point where it is clearly making you VERY sad because it excludes you from a normal family activity. Exclude him too and see how he likes it. Buy nothing for him. Relieve yourself of that pressure and buy yourself some extra stuff.

I would personally have a conversation about how it makes you feel and if he still couldn't see how shit it makes me feel I would be worried.

I say all this not judging you. I grew up in this household and guess what, it's still the same today, only she has finally stopped buying for him. He doesn't care about her feelings, so there is nothing. It's really sad as a child to witness. I noticed it very very young. Men that make absolutely zero effort and take take take. For your children but most of all for you, take action. X

He is autistic which definitely adds to it. We have talked about it but he does simply suck at this. It’s like he has a mental block on it.

I do agree though that’s it’s not great modelling for the kids. Maybe I need to send him these links and tell him to sort it

If you're on Facebook/Instagram Bella Rose lingerie is amazing at fitting bras but she also does a service where you tell her the amount you want to spend and she'll send you a surprise in your size beautifully wrapped. You can also set up a subscription and get something every month/quarter/6 months.

I am a bit in love with Typo. I am a writer and their stationery, mugs, random tat, everything just fills me with joy. I love their notebooks and pens particularly and buy them all as gifts for friends but can never justify buying it for myself.

This year I have bought myself a Typo mystery box as a treat to me. I went for the stationery addict one. I can't wait to unwrap it all!

cottonon.com/UK/typo/new-trending/typo-collections/typo-mystery-boxes/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqvaNBhDLARIsAH1Pq51eFu_dKpHI39IdcniCeOZwUORfAkW-Z1cOZld_mLEfWAp_8h-ANRMaAtQNEALw_wcB

Oh nice bras would be good. It’s been a long time since I bought anything special - will check them out thanks

themysterygiftbox.com/

www.etsy.com/uk/market/mystery_gift_box

veganbunny.co.uk/products/never-seen-before-mystery-box?variant=39401924919356&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqvaNBhDLARIsAH1Pq50XrygyPeV3MXvBINbomHG-j9K1LtqjKbUE9fFf4zxXJgSX5jWwpvkaAloWEALw_wcB

@Christmastreejoy

He is autistic which definitely adds to it. We have talked about it but he does simply suck at this. It’s like he has a mental block on it.

I do agree though that’s it’s not great modelling for the kids. Maybe I need to send him these links and tell him to sort it

Autism doesn't necessarily have much to do with it. I am autistic and I love choosing presents for people, I spend a lot of time thinking of things they would like. My autistic brother and many of my autistic friends are the same. Sure, some autistic people will be crap at buying presents just as some neurotypical people are, but it's certainly not a feature of autism!

A little thing I do is give my 10 year old daughter £10 and let her go into b & m or poundshop etc and pick me a little gift for Christmas while I wait outside by the door and the rule is she can't let me see what it is and has to wrap it herself. She absolutely loves this and gets so excited on Christmas to give it to me, its always badly wrapped and usually a little Dove pamper set or a mug and chocolates but it's always my favorite present because its from her! We started doing it when she was 7 and so it's become a little tradition of ours every year.

Surprise yourself by taking all the money you'd otherwise spend on your ungrateful husband and treating yourself to the look on his face on Christmas day when he has nothing from you, then actually treat yourself to lunch/dinner/nights out with some friends!!
If you've already bought the gifts for him, wrap them but write out the tags to yourself and open 'his' presents in front of him and congratulate yourself on buying such lovely things so you can use them yourself or gift to charity!!

@Justkeepon

A little thing I do is give my 10 year old daughter £10 and let her go into b & m or poundshop etc and pick me a little gift for Christmas while I wait outside by the door and the rule is she can't let me see what it is and has to wrap it herself. She absolutely loves this and gets so excited on Christmas to give it to me, its always badly wrapped and usually a little Dove pamper set or a mug and chocolates but it's always my favorite present because its from her! We started doing it when she was 7 and so it's become a little tradition of ours every year.

This is lovely and exactly what my nanny did with my two this year (3 and 4).

I think it's so important that kids learn that it's important to give as well as receive presents, to avoid them developing into adults like the partners described in the thread! I always ask my children what they think our extended family would like and they choose presents for each person and love watching them unwrap them.

Also super cute there presents that they choose for each other. 💛