What did you give this Xmas?

[Motu]

We didn't buy many presents this year - but we made a lot.

For my wife's brothers and sisters and some close friends we put together 6 gift baskets.The week before we (by we I mean my wife,2 daughters and 2 sons) made pomanders,pushing cloves into oranges and rolling in oris root.After a week in the hot water cupboard they had ribbons fitted.Some fancy cheap bottles were found and after some experiments we made herbal vinegar,with cider vinegar,rosemary,garlic,ginger and pepper corns.Homemade soap was poured into molds....a facial scrub for the shower or bath....a condiment made with flaky yeast and various herbs and seasonings,put into some cheap shaker jars.We made candles (this is the one I did most of) soaking string in boric acid and salt,then platting the string to make wicks.We had some candles around,and these were melted down and poured into molds.We couldn't find any baskets,but found some cheap kit bags and used those to put all our stuff in.A last minute addition was some ribbon on the handles as we went out the door.

Once a hippy,always a hippy...

So what did you give this year?

[McJim]

I bought my wife a Shift Siren white leather bike jacket. Fark me but it hurt to part with that kind of cash....especially for a scotsman.

[TerminalAddict]

Giving is more fun (I like shopping )
2x Laptops, 1x Mountain bike, 1x cellphone ... and a bunch of other stuff that got ignored while they play with the new digital toys
microphone (sing star type thing)
poker set (used tonight until bedtime for the younguns)
Sylvia something or other novel
gift basket for my mother
jewelry (spelling?)
A horse (although that was delivered a couple of weeks ago)

[Skunk]

Help to my sister-in-law. Wife didn't get anything.

I gave myself lots of presents though.

[eliot-ness]

I'm with Motu, didn't buy anything except for the materials to make things.
Family calendars made from pics of each family taken over the last twelve months. The three youngest grandchildren got childrens books written by myself. The adults have more spare cash than I have so they can buy their own presents.

[Motu]

Funny how the giving thread is so much smaller than the recieving thread eh?

We also made our own cards....there was a production line going as shapes were cut out.A Huntly scene with the power station and the river,trees and green hills,glitter on the river and smoke from the chimneys.There were also photos of our grandaughter in frames.All the labels were hand cut and printed as well.It was a family time of making gifts - I bet our children will remember more of what they gave in Xmas's past than what they got.

[Smokin]

Apart from paying for Santas extravagent shopping spree, I bought the Mrs some spray on smelly stuff and one of them dish draw washing thingamebobs.

[Beemer]

A friend and I decided to make each other gifts this year although she cheated a bit and bought me two gifts as well! I made her two different sorts of herb vinegars (rosemary and peppercorn and garlic and peppercorn) and gave her some scorched almonds as she loves them. She gave me gingerbread cats, some cabernet drizzle (sort of like balsamic vinegar) and a cat tree decoration. For Andy's parents and my mother I made a large Christmas cake and put it on a white plate (impossible to get Christmas themed cake tins this year) with chocolates around it and wrapped it in cellophane. One year I made scarves with that fluffy feather wool and they were a big hit overseas.

For Andy I got Hurricane Tim and that NZ motorcycle book by Tim Chadwick, boxers, chocolates, two shirts, tracksuit pants (he said he didn't need them but you could see his boxers through his old ones!), the World's Fastest Indian two DVD set (I got him the single one when it came out but will give that away now we have the two), and Pictionary - but I hadn't realised you need two teams of at least two players to play! There is only the two of us so we'll have to wait for visitors before we can use it!

For friends overseas I sent NZ wool scarves, books and confectionary. Local friends got smellies, calendars and the like.

I have more fun buying stuff for others - especially if you know they don't have it and will really love it.

[onearmedbandit]

Toys for my two girls, one's 7yrs old and had a list of 'wants', the other is nearly 6mths old and would be happy just playing with the newspaper I'm trying to read. However we got her some educational toys. Wife's birthday is tomorrow so bought her a diamond ring for a combined present. And my nephews and neices got their toy wishes fufilled as well.

[Flyingpony]

I gave my Dad a hard to find engine manual for his diesel engine.

[Indiana_Jones]

I gave Herpes, the gift that keeps on giving!

But seriously lol.......if that can be done with me, I got my mrs some earrings, my bro some new shirts, my sister a book, my mummy a CD and my daddy some cocktail glasses (to go with his cocktail shaker he got from my sister).

-Indy

[mashman]

The Gift of Death

[F5 Dave]

God that was tedious to start to read.

Why not make a commitment to Jesus?

[Laava]

Sorry for disturbing this old thread, but as Christmas is coming up, I have already started buying gifts for my family members. I bought a necklace for my wife and a a toy for our son. As for me, I want to get a golden emperor dragon leather biker wallet. My wife asked me about the gift for me and I hinted that I want exactly this wallet . What about you, guys? Have you already started buying Christmas gifts?

Spam. I got spam from you. Merry fucken xmas!

[scumdog]

We didn't buy many presents this year - but we made a lot.

For my wife's brothers and sisters and some close friends we put together 6 gift baskets.The week before we (by we I mean my wife,2 daughters and 2 sons) made pomanders,pushing cloves into oranges and rolling in oris root.After a week in the hot water cupboard they had ribbons fitted.Some fancy cheap bottles were found and after some experiments we made herbal vinegar,with cider vinegar,rosemary,garlic,ginger and pepper corns.Homemade soap was poured into molds....a facial scrub for the shower or bath....a condiment made with flaky yeast and various herbs and seasonings,put into some cheap shaker jars.We made candles (this is the one I did most of) soaking string in boric acid and salt,then platting the string to make wicks.We had some candles around,and these were melted down and poured into molds.We couldn't find any baskets,but found some cheap kit bags and used those to put all our stuff in.A last minute addition was some ribbon on the handles as we went out the door.

Once a hippy,always a hippy...

So what did you give this year?

Nothing!

And where are you these days?