Hey all, Bit early but I like to get my presents in advance. Now I know it's meant to be a personal thing, but I fricking suck at choosing presents for my mother, and girlfriends mother and sisters. Luckily my sister is a nerd, so I just buy her a PS3 game every year. I was hoping we could get a communal thread going to share ideas? Format being: Title <IMAGE> Price: Or if people are too lazy just a quick 1-liner! Go,go,go!
I put an order in for two tablets, cheap resistive ones for my nephew and niece. Neither of them have had much access to a computer or the internet despite now being 9 & 10 years old, this annoys me to no end as I spent many hours explaining to their mother how important IT literacy will be for them a few years down the line. So hopefully something to spark an interest, then when they are older I don't mind putting a little more effort and cash in to get them something they can work with. Yep, too lazy for your format, sorry.
http://www.amazon.com/Chia-Handmade-Decorative-Planter-Determined/dp/B001PKU28E/ http://www.amazon.com/Clapper-Remote-Control-Plus-Pack/dp/B001EPRAO4/
Normally since my brothers are 22 and 24 and they aren't into technology I try to buy them clothes or something useful they need. If all else fails get a gift card. For my parents, we try to get something they say they need. My mom we'll usually get her something for the kitchen or the house that she may hint she wants / needs. My dad on the other hand is difficult to buy for, he never uses anything new if we have something old that works, even if it doesn't work well. Clothes and giftcards than! If you know your gf's mom is into cooking or handy in the kitchen, just walk around a kitchen store for a while and you'd find all sorts of interesting things that you didn't even know existed.
Can't find the perfect item for someone who either has everything or wants nothing? Give an experience. This is easiest for people like parents because you have some freedom to control their schedule a bit. Concert tickets, a local winery tour, those types of things. Bonus points if you can go with. I know it seems like a cheap gift because you're enjoying it too but trust me, your parents will be happy to enjoy their gift with you. Trust me, no matter where you take/send them your mom will spend the next few days on the phone with her friends bragging how sweet her son is.
Great ideas all! The only issue I have with given cooking items is, I did this before and I think my gf's mum more cooks because she has to than wants to. I've gotten a Kindle for the missus, gonna grab some music albums for her less tech savvy sister and I think an Asos voucher for the other or something along the lines. Still the mothers trumping me though! Maybe just some nice chocolates
Any Boots 3 for 2 stuff for women that looks expensive and luxurious. They even have some presents for blokes in the larger ones - I got Dad a beer selection pack as one of the 3 for 2. Can't go wrong.
Dad, Mom, Baby (11 y.o.) brother: "Alive Desert" tour for half a day. Looking for reptiles and small animals in the Namib Desert (they stay literally 200 m from the dunes for years now, and have never seen some of the amazing creatures that live there). Missus: Since budgets are tight on her side, she made me promise not to buy anything big. No idea what yet. I was hoping to buy her a small car, but then life happened, and the budget is quite tight now. Not even a tiny car will fint into the budget. Older Sister: A new Laptop (financed partially by the folks). Some cheap lenovo that's not too shite... her 6 year old Acer is about to fall apart. Little Brother: REALLY effing hard. He's coming home on the 23rd of December from 18 month in the German Ari Force, and only staying for two weeks. No idea what to get him. Gran: Prolly some candles or something Dad (birthday just before xmas): Bottle of good whiskey. Baby brother (birthday I missed): Something... no clue yet. Probably a CD. Whole Family: My brother. His returning home is something only him and me know about... Since my family does XMas on Christmas eve, the missus, my brother and myself are hitting the road for the 350km trip to my folks on the 24th sometime in the afternoon. As the family unwraps presents (they know the missus and myself are coming), "santa" will knock at the door... watch my mum cry. They already asked him if they can fly him home for xmas, and he told them he has to work. - this must be the present I am personall most excited about EVER. then the missus's family: Sister and Brother in Law: New pots and pans... the ones they ahve ar shite. Nephew and Niece: No clue... the missus tells me, I pay. Mum: See above. Best friend: Again... ^^ As for myself: With the missus having forced me to promise not to buy anything big, I suggested that we both chose something worth X amount (to be determined) and then just buy those things. If that goes through: Blu-Ray Player
Dude, on the Lenovo laptop front. Try and blag discount by saying you work for IBM, or find someone near you who you trust who does! Massive discount.
Doesn't help here... no IBM office, and the people here that sell Lenovo are massive chains that only deal with their bigger brothers in South Africa, who in turn work with various distributors, who in turn work with IBM... But thanks for the tip. Noted and appreciated.
Digital picture frame? put an sd card in there and fill it will pictures from all your family and distant family that might live away Mothers always love something personal over something expensive
Nice card > insert £5/10/20 here > job done. I always find it odd that people would rather spend a large sum of money on a gift that won't be all that appreciated quite often ( or promptly sold on ebay a few days later ), than put that same sum of money in a card and let the person choose something for themselves that they really do want. Rather impersonal I know, but I know for sure I'd rather have that £10 than another ****ing set of shaving foam and deodorant/ shower gel, or a bloody jumper that itches like buggery. This is especially true as you get older ( 20+ ) since you are perfectly capable of buying anything specific that you really want or fancy, rather than expecting or relying on other people to guess or find out via less than subtle hints. Ofcourse, that wont help the economy much at this time of year, but but don't waste money on gift cards for goodness sake ( last year I saw one fella moaning about his brother or cousin not spending a £50 or 100? card he had bought him in time and it becoming invalid- total waste ).... /scrooge
Only really sure about two-ish family presents so far... For my 7 and 11 year old brothers: The centrepiece Available from Amazon Partially because I secretly want one for myself, but also because it's awesome, the pneumatics are amazing and they'll love it... (not my pic, not bought it yet) Animation here And other complimentary lego kits, notably all of the Technic 'construction' series - there's about eight in total - only two are really large and are mostly cheap for an awesome (not so) little set! Will also get a shedful of Wii games for them. For my dear mother: A Galaxy Tab 10.1 Will also get from Amazon Trying to get her up-to-date, at least then she can e-mail me more than once a month! This leaves my 17 year old brother and my Dad. Not really sure what to get either. My brother will be sitting exams in January, and I don't want to distract him too much; and my Dad - no clue at all. Help me guys! Edit: Can't be anything super massive or super dense, as my family are domiciled abroad, and I will need to take these presents on a series of flights - I've just checked and will have 62Kg of luggage allowance (although I would guess my trunk weighs around 12kg when empty). So if possible keep it light and small as I've other stuff I need to take!
/tangent I love lego kits, i got to use a NXT kit as part of my first year on my degree. Defantly something I'd reccoment for a present for teenagers as it teaches some very good skills
Our office just got them Galaxy Tabs, and the 7 inch ones, and I have to say...For being 7" they're bloody awesome..
