The men were out in force today panicking

[AngelaRippingMyLegIntheAir]

😂In town today to get nails done and boy were those men panicking - in any shop with a sale sign even Hobbs and Weird Fish holding up things looking at them , putting them down and then picking them up again. Do women really want men buying them clothes? I feel like pushing them all into Boots - at least there is a chance of getting something semi decent from the Beauty section! 😂

My SIL and I used to organise a shopping trip to the local huge M&S the night before Valentine’s Day, just because watching the panicked blokes was so entertaining!

In a long relationship of close to 30 years the best gifts received so far have been cashmere socks, string of really decent pearls, Swiss Army knife.

DS has his first serious GF I explained early on that it’s really the thought that counts with gifts. He has bought her a bag a brand he knows she likes as she has a little clutch bag of the same brand, it a lovely bag.

A guy was buying gifts for his wife in a supermarket yesterday, he was ahead of me in the queue, a very nice looking warm dressing gown and a few bits. His little girl who had helped was so excited and a delightful child. She was telling me about carrots needing to be out our for Santas reindeer’s, just in case I didn’t know obviously.

There's already been a thread from the male of the species highlighting his general stupidity ie not having a clue what his wife likes (aka not making an effort).

It irritates the socks off me as people womble about right at the last minute looking completely gormless.

Usually getting in my way😖

@AngelaRippingMyLegIntheAir I'd be disappointed with something from Boots so please don't send anyone there.

When I was a shop manager we loved the wild eye Xmas eve men - the aim was always to sell them the most expensive thing in the shop & generally they went for it( I did always make sure they knew to keep the receipt!)

Tomorrow will be the day to sit at the Asda Cafe, near the balcony, watch all the people rushing about.
It isn't just men ime. A lot of women panic I think on Xmas eve and think they haven't got enough for the people in their lives.

I've done it myself, one year DD only had 15 gifts.. but I caught myself thinking it, 15 gifts . Only!?!? I was lucky if I got 5 when I was her age. So stayed home and had a cupp instead. 🤪🤣

I'm not panic buying at all - I'm just doing my Christmas present shopping today as I usually do, apart from a few things that ordered from Amazon earlier this week . It's like all other Christmas preparations -I have never started buying things weeks ahead or preparing way in advance for Christmas, or anything by else like holidays. Apart from booking my supermarket delivery when the slots are released and ordering my turkey from the farm when they first start taking orders, I don't do anything until the week before xmas. I made a big change this year and put my tree up on Tuesday rather than xmas eve because my daughter came home on Wednesday and is only here for a week so I didn't want to waste the time she's here doing things like that.

Most jobs don't have the ridiculous out of hours demands that being a teacher does though. Many of them are marking and lesson planning during their evenings and weekends...

People working in schools do realise that people work up to and over Christmas. Many of them have done it. Like me.

However after a 9 weeks half term and looking after 31 incredibly excited and overtired children bouncing off the walls all week, I'm apologising to no one for being ready for a break.

In Bath yesterday and didn’t see anything like that, just a lovely buzzing atmosphere and the most amazing book shop I’ve ever visited - Mr B’s Emporium (my new happy place).

If DH bought me something from Boots, I'd be gutted. He's excellent at buying clothes for me. And I really like Weird Fish so not sure what that barb is all about.

I'm on my way to do some shopping today. No panic. I live rurally, have only just broken up and this is my first chance to go and pick up some things I've ordered. I plan on wandering around for a while too. I might pick up and put down a few things. I'll try not to look panicked.

9 weeks!? Fuuuuuck that 😱 so pleased ours was only 7 weeks, our kids were knackered from that, I can't imagine any of them surviving a 9 weeker!

Yes, and can also in general (yes, not in every role) set and take their own holidays allowing them to book a day for Christmas shopping if they wish.

It's not the teachers I know who are moaning; it's the support staff.

They don't get that the way it falls this year giving Mon-Fri workers two days off before the day itself is actually loads better than any other year.

Not just the men 😮‍💨

∆ This is my method of offering suggestions. If I see something I'd like from DH for Xmas I either buy it for him to wrap or send him the Amazon link. It just means I receive exactly what I'd like, and money is not spent on things I don't (it's started after being gifted some grey trainers that were NOT my style).

I remember an ex had got me the usual primark pajamas which his mum or nanny had picked often disney which looked like they where for a child and then an electric bikini line trimmer🙄 i wax so definitely not needed but still no wonder he is an ex. My favourite is seeing the men all getting the local garage shop/petrol station flowers 💐 , most of which just contain about 5 half dead stems.

I saw the Pandora queue yesterday!! Does your town start with B??

I helped out in my BIL's chemist shop one Christmas as a student. In Christmas Eve there was a fairly steady stream of men asking what perfume I liked/my boyfriend bought for me. The instruction from BIL was to say the most expensive...
It's definitely not all men though, and I imagine some women are similar.

‘The men’. Love it. Peak Mumsnet. They are such different (and vile) creatures.
I would love to hear about ‘the women’ going shopping in supermarkets.

Also here to vote against Boots as a generic recommendation for confused men, I would rather polyester novelty socks, a jigsaw or a box of chocolates than something from boots that I didn’t pick myself. Not that I love any of those things (unless their liqueur chocolates or the socks are really funny) but would actually use them or find them easy to get rid of unlike a random beauty or bath item. My partner isn’t great at presents but i’m happy to get the same box of my favourite chocolates twice a year plus whatever attempt he makes at a book or something, and there’s been progress this year in that he’s wrapped it (hilariously badly) without me telling him to. I love buying presents, can’t imagine how people find it a chore!

Not a teacher but wholeheartedly agree with you. I can't understand how it was planned that some only broke up yesterday, seems so late! Our school broke up on the 14th so have already been off over a week. Pretty much been ill since so not done much but at least not at school!

We went to our local shopping centre to the Cinema yesterday evening. I just got parked and the cinema is near the entrance so it was OK for us. But I'd absolutely hate to be doing any shopping! Mainly men and teens out yesterday from what I saw.

Surely they could have gone out at the weekend?

I'm chronically organised so I never leave shopping this late but I kind of get the appeal of just getting everything in the few days before Christmas.