Looking for an opinion

bladerunner73

Hi guys,

I hope you don't mind me asking your opinion - but I've decided to do advent gifts for my husband and I just wondered if you thought it was a good idea or just silly.

Most of the gifts are under £5 or if they are over they were free - some are boring things like underwear but there are other things like CDs and aftershave and an iTunes voucher.

sorry if I'm ranting - just hoped you guys might let me know what you think.

Thanks

:A :A :A

denton6

Hi i think that is a lovely idea and also have put alot of thought into it.If you still need a few things body shop will give you a free sample of there products in a little pot.I choose a eye cream to try for dh but she said she could do a sample of anything.How are you going to do the gifts.Ie little box or pressie to open everyday.

bladerunner73

I was just going to leave one on the bed each morning for him so he doesn't know there are 24 or on the days he is away sneak them into his suitcase with a label for when each is for. They are all wrappped individually - as I say some interesting some not so much, but thought it might be something different for a bit of fun. Thanks for the Bodyshop idea - he hasn't tried that before he's ususally a boots tart.

EMminently

i think it's a great idea too - i'm doing one for my mum! i'm in the process of acquiring 24 little gifts and wrapping them all and putting them in a gift bag. They're going to be numbered so she has to open the right one each day. here's what i have so far (still working on it!):
1. Snowdrop bulbs- Wrapped (Monday)
2. Yoghurt topped peanuts – Wrapped (Tuesday)
3. Butterfly stationery- Wrapped (Wednesday)
4. Little emery boards – Wrapped (Thursday)
5. Mini wine- Wrapped (Friday)
6. Knickers (Saturday)
7. Voucher saying I’ll come round and do reflex (Sunday)
8. White choc fuzzies & bar - Wrapped (Monday)
9. Pretty Xmas dec
10. Pretty keyring
11. Pretty coaster
12. Xmas lolly - Wrapped
13. Nail varnish
14. Little book
15. Chutney/ jam – cranky food
16. Little Christmas cake
17. Little candle
18. Pretty pen
19. Little note book
20. Mini photo
21. Yoghurt topped raisins - Wrapped
22. Socks
23. Voucher that I’ll come and cook a meal
24.

bladerunner73

Cool I hadn't thought of the voucher idea - I've got three more to sort out I've only wrapped the first eight so far - better get a move on he's home on Friday so I can't do anything then.

Quote

It seems like a "lovely" idea, but it doesn't really fall within the remit of Money-Saving, does it?

If my girlfriend did this for me I suppose it would be nice, although I think it would get a bit tedious after a short amount of time. You yourself admit that some of the gifts are "boring". Christmas is the time for giving gifts, not advent. It's going to be less and less of a surprise every day, and then Christmas could be the final anti-climax.

A surprise present every couple of weeks during the year would be better.

Probably.

bladerunner73

The presents all came out of his leftover christmas present budget - he picked his main presents so doesn't have many surprises this year. we usually have chocolate calenders but we've given up sweet stuff - when I say boring I probably mean practical. I appreciate your opinion - if he gets bored I'll stick any that are left under the tree on christmas morning.

elle_gee

When we were little (20 years ago), my mum used to save all the freebies that came with kids magazines from throughout the year - the pencil crayons, stencil sets which were taped to the front - then mix them with hair bobbles etc. She wrapped them all (48 gifts in total, me and little sister) then attach a length of ribbon to them and a tag (made by cutting out the pictures off the front of last years cards), then put the gift in the bag, leaving the tag hanging over the edge. The bag was then on a hook (ironing hook on the back of a door, I think!) so high up that we couldn't see what was in there for the rest of the month... Not that that would help if your hubby is six foot tall!

Zimm190

I think it's a nice idea and it's the sort of thing I used to do for my boyfriend. However, I evetually realised that I was doing things for him that I would have liked - if it was his birthday I'd bring him breakfast in bed with a fresh flower on the tray etc. because that's what I would like - it's not necessarily what he wanted!

I like to make my boyfriend gifts and would be thrilled if he ever made me something but he likes gadgets from a shop so that's what he buys me!

Another danger is that you might overface him and he'll feel guilty that he hasn't done the same for you. For our five-year anniversary I bought my boyfriend five gifts (paper, cotton, wood, fruit/flowers, and leather), which he did like but it was too much and he felt bad for only getting me one present (I didn't mind at all!).

What I'm trying to say is, do the advent gifts if you know it's the kind of thing your husband likes, not if it's what you'd like to receive yourself.

RustyFlange

I am doing a beer advent for my OH so far I have 6 bottles of different beer and 1 can of beer which he hasn't noticed missing out of the cupboard ... I have the rest of this week to try and finish it off

RoxieW

I'm doing this for the kids - using things that, in order to get the most use/wear out of them, they should have before xmas. Such as a xmassy top that they can wear to all their xmas parties, xmas socks, xmas books that we can read in the run up to xmas, xmas craft items that we can do to add to the house decorations - just that kind of thing. Also - some things such as panto tickets, a trip to the xmas fayre, trip to see santa etc. I dont think it will take away from xmas day. am going to put gift under tree each day for them from the elves - if they've been good!:)