Christmas presents that you actually loved to receive!

[boymamahere]

This year, I want to do quality over quantity and stop worrying about the amount of presents. I give someone but the actual thought behind it.

What were your favourite Christmas presents that you gave or received?

A French beret
A DryRobe
A book and chocolate
A bookmark

I love cooking so anything I can use or eat. Would love a posh Japanese knife but even a little packet of nice spice or some instant noodles I've never tried would be amazing. A friend at work bought me a little pot of fermented mushrooms from a food show he went to once and it was honestly such a bang on present, lovely.

I actually love getting nice socks. I always remember who bought them for me and think of them when I wear them. They’re always really nice ones and for some reason I would never buy really nice socks for myself! And socks need replacing as they wear out so it’s not needless clutter.
Besides that I like wine and shortbread!

My H usually gets me sets from Clinique and Lovely shower gel and room fragrances from Rituals - basically expensive ( ish) stuff I really like but rarely treat myself to as it seems a bit indulgent

Mine are a gorgeous dressing gown and a matching long chemise,my DH bought them for me a couple of years ago and they still feel soft and look gorgeous.

Another was a beautiful long coat and some knee high suede boots that I'd wanted for ages but wouldn't buy myself.

Experiences/ trips.

I’m hoping for an overnighter in the Natural History Museum this year.

I don’t really want ‘stuff’, other than really nice socks.

Everybody gives me booze. I'm always appreciative!

consumables here too - small box of fancy chocolates, nice cheese etc
and I always love a mug - can't have too many

Audible credits are on my wish list this year.

I’m also asking for some Knoops hot chocolate which is v expensive but absolutely delicious. I’m also a sucker for any sort of dark chocolate praline. I don’t need any more stuff, so things I can eat are always a winner!

I read about a coffee table book called ‘James Bond destinations’. It was a book featuring amazing photos from the films exotic locations. It was v. Expensive - £130 at the time. I put it on my family Christmas list as a joke. One of my DC bought it for me. I love it. It’s beautiful.

My other favourite present was a tiny, carved, nativity scene that my parents bought in Jerusalem about 20 years ago. I’m not remotely religious, but I do love this little ornament and it comes out every Christmas.

Photo books, photo calendars, socks, fluffy sock, book vouchers, nice candles

Scarves - can never have enough!

Jewellery - it doesn’t need to be expensive, just pretty

Beauty treatment vouchers - I’d never normally choose to treat myself to a facial

My mum has got me some lovely gifts over the years, from a walky-talky doll when I was little, to a year's subscription to Rare Birds (an online book club for women) to a voucher for a massage at The Pig.

From DH: some gifts I wasn't expecting. The perfect coat from Reiss, a lovely nordgren watch and a charcoal grey jumper from nobody's child that I wear all the time because it's so comfy.

Plus various home made gifts: a Christmas cake baked by my best friend, a chocolate salami and biscuits made by my cousins, and from a different cousin a beautiful video she'd made with beauty and the beast re-told in a hilarious way by my then 2 yr old daughter that my cousin had then put images to.

I was given a Beauty box subscription, loved it! Not something that I would have ever got myself and every month it was a bit like another Xmas surprise when it arrived.

Some lovely gift ideas on this thread.
Also, I’ve remembered the delicacy that is a Fray Bentos pie.

1. An avocado knife
2. Battery powered lights for an unwired cupboard - made my life much easier!
3. A cowl knock fleece jumper that’s soooo warm but looks smart on camera
4. some fancy match boxes so I can leave them out near candles and they look nice
5. books - any books!
6. beautiful steak knives

Any pine scented bath milk/oil/foam
Any Ylang Ylang or geranium scented bath oil
Nice unusual wine or prosecco glasses
A fancy mug
If someone was going to really splash out on me then they couldn’t go wrong with a real wool navy jumper. I’m a sucker for expensive, good quality jumpers!

Personally love candles but it’s always very dependent on scent so it’s a risky gift to give in that sense.

I like experience gifts so spa treatments, vouchers for the cinema or theatre tickets.

Love reading so books are generally a winner but only if they’re decent, not Carol Vorderman or random vampire books MIL finds in the charity shop.

I was given a personalised Christmas decoration which was so thoughtful and I look to it with joy every year I put in on the tree it’s beautiful

I just prefer vouchers. I loathe one hit wonders gifts like anything food related, silly things like socks or a book. I just prefer a voucher to spend as I wish. Everything is so so personal so unless you actually know someone really really well I think o would probably dislike most gifts.

I love:

Tennis socks
Charbonnel and Walker caramel balls
Unusual soap in pretty paper
Tennis t shirts
Vouchers for John Lewis
Beautiful Christmas tree baubles
Victoria Beckham makeup

Chanel Le Volume Mascara and the Chanel cream bronzer ( I can’t justify buying them for myself )
Rituals Jing
A voucher for Boots.
A voucher for Brown Thomas Dublin, an upmarket department store, part of the Selfridges chain.
Vouchers for Dunnes Stores - Ireland’s answer to M&S but often better.
Vouchers for Dunnes Stores.
L’Occitane Almond shower, body cream and hand cream.

Ooo soap in posh paper is always a winner. My decoration was from not on the high street celebrating baby bump!

I’d like Rituals shower foam, can’t justify buying it for myself. On offer for just under £9 in Boots at the moment

DH bought me an Apple Watch a few years ago, which I hadn’t requested and didn’t know i wanted. But I love it! Being able to see messages without having to get my phone out is really useful, I wouldn’t go back to an ordinary watch now.
DS2 created , printed and bound his own recipe book for a few family members. That was a fab present.
He Also bought me a small Le Creuset pot which I love, and his brother bought me a set of mugs chosen to fit my very fussy requirements- I know it took a lot of searching to get that exactly right.