Christmas Pressies - Trapped in a corner

[crystaltips]

I love Christmas and can't resist buying just one more present for the kid's stockings - but I do have a gripe.
There are a group of us Mums who would meet up every so often when we need a diversion from School runs and tricky husbands.
Well one particular friend announced that we should all meet up before Christmas and exchange presents. This was truly a situation that I did not want to get into. I don't really want to feel that I have to buy a present for each person there. ( From past experience - birthdays have turned into a bit of a competition - whose present is the best !! )
Can you help me out without appearing like Scrouge ?

Thanks

I can't believe how many people I have to buy for, I keep thinking my list is all done, I have made the jars of mincemat for the personal (cheap!) pressies for my dd school teachers, only to find out there are 17 of them!! She is at a pre-school so there is loads of assistants and you can't do one without the rest! Oh well a huge box of choccies then! Then I suddenly remember the neighbours, the work collegues etc etc and I realise I have loads to go!

Oh well more baking, more shopping... more credit card bills, and they call this a holiday!

Crunchie, root out some bottles. Preferably pretty ones with adequate stoppers. Ram a few chillis down them, or garlic cloves, or sprigs of thyme etc. Fill em up with olive oil, wack in the stoppers, put a bit of ribbon around the top and hey presto, flavoured oil at a fraction of the cost of storebought, especially if you harvest the herbs from your own garden.

Home made lemon curd is always a winner I find, as are rum truffles. So Chrissmassy and easy to make. Little bags of cheesy herby biscuits are cheap and easy to do. Candying peel is surprisingly easy and if you are arty, making marzipan fruit or Xmas decorations comes out quite cheap.

Ahh memories of my poverty stricken youth.

Better still, shove some fruit in a bottle, top up with vodka, leave for a good while and then drink it yourself. You won't give a stuff about Christmas presents!

Hmm, someone's just given me the idea of a diary for my ungrateful niece - one of those with a key on it, then I can copy the key and when she's 18 I'll publish her diary to cause absolute embarrassment! The thing with her is, and I shouldn't say this as she is my niece, (I do hope nobody I know is reading this!) she thinks she is in her twenties already. She is snobbish, tries to give you advice on your problems (1. Who told her! 2. How dare a 12yr old give me marital advice!) and she is the most sarcastic little b**ch I have ever come across! She manages to ridicule people in such a way that her parents never notice it - think she is being kind even! But as the mistress of sarcasm myself, I know exactly what she is doing and I have to admit, she doesn't endear herself to me at all!

I know I shouldn't be buying that many pressies, but how do you work it out otherwise? The kids love getting presents, the adults love watching their kids get presents, and as I hardly ever see them anyway, I just feel it is the least I can do. Some, like the aforementioned niece, and my two invisible step-nephews, I feel I really shouldn't buy for at all! But in my heart of hearts, no matter how unkind they are to me, I simply cannot miss them out at Christmas. How much of a sucker am I?

How about making your own Lush type bath ballistics but put indelible dye in them instead? Perfect for those irritating relatives you just love to bits.

Come in Simon Howard. I would just so love to hear your fabulous bah humbug take on all this people-pleasing!!

BTW, where are you and how is your job going?

Rhubarb, I saw some really nice mugs in a shop last yaer with slogans on. Most of them said things like "Princess" or "Superwomen" but one had "B*tch" on it. Sounds like something you could usefully give your niece!!

I think it's amazing just what you can find for two pounds or less when you look. I am an avid shopper in our local pound shops at the moment. Or go posh and see what TKMaxx has to offer. When I last loooked there were lots of ornaments, candles, writing paper and smellies for well under five pounds.

Crstaltips - agree about not buying presents as a rule for not-that-close adult friends. How about buying them a big box of chocolates to share on your last meeting before christmas?

Ahh Soupdragon, a woman after my own heart. I have been known to make chilli vodka that way which makes a wicked bloody mary.