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Christmas

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

Original poster

Family present

27 replies

JaneiteMightBite · 06/12/2009 21:31

For the last couple of years best friend and I have stopped buying separate gifts for the whole family and instead have bought a 'family gift' with a maximum price of a tenner.

I've done DVD, popcorn, hot choc in the past. Also board game with chocs.

I have no idea what to get this year and would welcome any suggestions from more clever people than I.

TIA

OP posts:
MistressIggi · 06/12/2009 22:20

Ages/sexes of children? Probably can't think of anything but I am liking the idea of a family gift, I spend a fortune on stuff that I'm sure my friend's kids don't even want..

hormonalmum · 06/12/2009 22:22

voucher for bowling? I havent been for a while but now I have said that, I reckon it will cost more than £10.

Waswondering · 06/12/2009 22:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheFallenMadonna · 06/12/2009 22:24

My sister bought us a family sports day kit one year: bean bags, skipping ropes, sacks for sack races. Is fab! I guess it might depend on the ages of the children...

kalo12 · 06/12/2009 22:24

cd
teapot
money box
calendar

kimlouiseb · 06/12/2009 22:28

Cinema vouchers?

AMerryScot · 06/12/2009 22:32

$10 for a whole family is not a lot.

What we do for our distant family is to send a package from Amazon. We have PIL and at least two BILL families gathering in one place, so we send a big package of books - fiction, non-fiction, children's. Not sure if it happens, but we envision a book for everyone, and once they have read it, they pass it on to other family members.

Amazon books can be as little as £3 each, so you can really pack a pumch.

A family board game is good, but you won't have much of a selection for £10.

frazzled74 · 06/12/2009 22:44

in the tesco magazine, they had a book stack,as a kind of home made pressie
a selection of books with silver card wrapped around and tied at top with ribbon. christmas stamps were then put on book edges, it looked quite impressive and I am going to do one for mil.(this prob makes no sense, so try and get hold of the magazine if you can).
I have bought a murder mystery party game for some friends with adult children ,as their family present.

tanmu82 · 06/12/2009 22:51

How about you and the kids make a book of 'vouchers' offering things that you could do for them that might be fun/help out. For example, 1 night of babysitting, popcorn and movie sleepover, day at the park, a home-baked cake, 1 bag of ironing etc. This way you can offer a range of things which could suit all ages and the parents too. Beauty is, nothing has to actually cost much/anything at all.....
You all decide what you might each want to offer/do either individually or as a family, then you write them out, the kids decorate them and you staple them together and wrap up....

em83 · 07/12/2009 09:33

boardgame

1 of those money boxes you have to break to open especially if they are saving up for holidays / days out

Original poster
JaneiteMightBite · 07/12/2009 18:23

Thank you. Have done board games at least twice!

Can't do vouchers as we don't live near enough to carry them out but it was a v good suggestion.

Have got them a Murder Mystery game before too: otherwise that was a fab idea!

I know you can't get much for a tenner but it is a token really, no more: so we stick to that limit and make Christmas more about spending time together than about handing goodies over.

Have bought them so many books over the years!

The children are a ten year old and two teenagers.

Can anybody think of anything perhaps food related?

Eg: pizza slice, nice tomato sauce, oregano etc / tagine, cous cous and harrissa - or something of that ilk? Something puddingy would be even better.

OP posts:
fatsatsuma · 07/12/2009 18:29

Chocolate fondue set?
Chocolate fountain? Think I might have seen quite a cheap one in Lakeland, or poss Amazon.

Original poster
JaneiteMightBite · 07/12/2009 19:22

Agh - have done fondue set before too! Otherwise, a great idea.

Would sundae glasses and wafers and sprinkles be too cheesy do you think?

or the wherewithal to make virgin and non-virgin cocktails?

OP posts:
christiana · 07/12/2009 19:33

Message withdrawn

christiana · 07/12/2009 19:35

Message withdrawn

Original poster
JaneiteMightBite · 07/12/2009 19:35

OMG - I am veggie: I couldn't possibly send crabs! But thank you anyway.

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 07/12/2009 19:37

Cocktail stuff sounds fab.

As does the sundaes kit. Cheesy is good.

christiana · 07/12/2009 19:37

Message withdrawn

Original poster
JaneiteMightBite · 07/12/2009 19:39

Yum...goldfish.

Where does one buy sundae glasses now that Whittards have disappeared?

Or if cocktail stuff, what do you think? Bottle of grenadine, cartons of juice, small vodka or tequila and some silly stirrers?

OP posts:
monkeyfacegrace · 07/12/2009 19:46

If someone sent me a crab I would fucking poo myself when I opened the box. They are sea spiders ewwwww [shudders emoticon]

Original poster
JaneiteMightBite · 07/12/2009 22:38

The crabs seem to have killed all other ideas!

OP posts:
christiana · 08/12/2009 13:28

Message withdrawn

deepdarkwood · 08/12/2009 13:39

COuldn't find your thread t'other day as search still not working for me

I like the ice cream sundae idea - you could have glasses, sprinkles, nuts, recipe plus ingredients for a chocolate sauce (the Nigel Slate Toblerone one is fabulous!) I'd look for Sundae glasses in somewhere like Bhs, or even good old Tesco... Or add in a CD of classic American diner type music

Otherwise, in terms of foods:

  • chocolate brownie recipe plus ingredients and baking tray. Hot choc to accompany?
  • moroccan set (harissa paste, preserved lemon, couscous, perhaps a cheap tangine if you can find one?)
  • home beauty parlour set (depending on gender of children)
  • pancake mix (Nigella has a dry recipe you can make up, then add egg/milk for pancakes) plus maple and blue berry syrup and a nice spatula and/or coffee?

I've been in a house that received live crabs too. They are a bit of a show stopper

Original poster
JaneiteMightBite · 08/12/2009 17:41

There is a recipe for Toblerone sauce? Why don't I know about this?

CD of diner music is v good idea! I think I'll see if BHS have sundae glasses and maybe go with that.

Personally I would love a tagine but I'm not sure it would be used much by them.

The teenage boy and ten year old boy may not appreciate beauty parlour stuff

Thanks for the ideas. Did you choose your stationery?

OP posts:
deepdarkwood · 08/12/2009 18:20

Toblerone sundae sauce:
200g dark toblerone (have used milk in an emergency...)
30g butter
100ml whipping cream

Chop toblerone finely, then melt (microwave/over hot water) DOn't stir it to much at this stage - just let it melt.
Add butter, and stir until melted, then gently stir in cream

Enjoy!!

I also like his 'sweet shiny chocolate sauce'. And Nigellas peanut chocolate sauce.
I just like chocolate sauce, tbh.