Christmas Hampers 2014

vic.star

Forgot to mention after my last visit to b&m but looking on the website reminded me - they have some cadbury choccie 3 for £1. Full sized bags and not the most popular but would make a great bargain for a treats hamper They also have a 125g box of choc fingers for 59p too, i might happen to open a box early though. To test of course...

Links to choccies on offer:
http://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/cadbury-crunchums-105g-285854

http://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/cadbury-choc-full-of-popcorn-130g-273431

http://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/cadbury-crispello-vanilla-velvet-120g-299082

Warning: the popcorn is very nice, however may result in a heart attack if consumed too much!!!

Peppapig

Babymoo, I’m gonna steal that idea and do it for my son inlaw next year – think he’ll love it!

Kaya, loving the December hamper idea, might do this for DD –she’s as much of a Christmas nut as I am lol.

Forgotten the other things I was going to reply to but all the hampers look great and the ideas everyone is posting are very much appreciated. Really helpful for people like me who can display the hampers with no problem but need the ideas to be spoon fed to me in the first place. Thanks everyone!

FieryAngel

As much as I love Christmas and had planned to do loads of home made items to put into hampers such as food things and lotions and lip gel etc (been spending far too much time on Pinterest!), I unfortunately have come to the realisation that I might not be able to do what I wanted this year

I've been ill all year and when I think of how close Christmas is and how much I wanted to do (including lots of things that could only be done very close to Christmas) I don't think I'll have the energy to do them. I'm so gutted about this as I enjoy being crafty and creative (and MSE of course!) but I also can't face digging myself into a deeper hole. It's taken me a long time to realise I can't do what I once did, at least not yet, and I've still not really accepted it yet! haha :rotfl: but I will still eagerly read all of your posts and look forward to seeing pics of your finished articles and hearing about how much everyone loved them. And of course if I'm out and about shopping, I'll let you know of any deals I see.

Sorry to offload that on here - it's not the happy cheerful, Christmassy kind of message but I knew other Christmas/crafty nuts would understand the frustration of not being able to be in full Christmas mode!

Smookle

Hi everyone! Love this thread! I really really want to try to do Christmas Hampers this year, but it turns out I'm not as imaginative as I thought and would love a little advice on how to bulk out the ideas I have! So far I have got...

DH - He loves real ale, but I don't really want to just buy lots of bottles of local ales, one or two maybe but I havent got a clue what else I could add to this!

Sister and BF - they've recently got into cycling so I have already got a little vintage bicycle sign for their door, and some energy bars and maybe a puncture repair kit or something. Ideally wanted a book on cycle routes but they live in Northern Ireland and cant find any that cover this area, but have found a downloadable pdf booklet that I might see if I can print off and bind if I'm allowed too.

Mum and Dad - they keep nagging us for some photos (DH is an amateur photographer) and thought I might make a photo book of all the pics they wanted and maybe a few nice or handmade photo frames.

Friend and 3 kids - a hamper is ideal for these guys as if I buy individual presents it costs me a fortune! Really want to get them a Treasure Trails map for their local area but have no idea what else to put in the hamper apart from a compass maybe?

Niece and Nephew and BIL - we don't see them very often as they live the other end of the country to us. Last year we got them an annual pass to a play farm but I don't think it got used very much (their dad only has them one day over the weekend) so wanted to get them something that would be more useful. Kind of want something that BIL can enjoy with the kids when he has them hence going for experiences rather than toys. I have already bought them a Treasure Trails map in the past so can't really use my one and only childrens idea : ( (Ps. I am terrible at shopping for children. They are my christmas kryptonite!)

Any and all suggestions are most welcome!!

Peppapig

Fiery Angel, really sorry to hear that you're not going to be able to do all you wanted to do in the run up to Christmas but please don't give up on everything. Could you maybe just pick one or two things and do them - it will give you such a boost if you can complete even one of the things you really wanted to do. I know how you feel because my DH was always very active, into DIY and able to turn his hand to most things. Since his health declined he's gradually had to get used to having to call workmen in to do jobs that he's always done himself and taking days (sometimes weeks) to do things that he once would have done in a couple of hours. It's really hard to get the balance right between accepting your limitations and giving up completely but I'm sure you'll get there. Feel free to offload any time you need to - why not confide in the lovelies on the 'Stop the Cavalry' thread. Hope you can keep your Christmas spirit in tact.

FieryAngel

Aww thanks Peppapig really nice of you to say.
Sorry to hear about your DH, can't be easy for either of you - I hope he still gets to enjoy many of the things he used to, even if at a slower rate
That's a good idea, just making one or two things, and limiting the number of those things as well. I'm glad I didn't go with my original instincts to buy everything I needed! lol

I do read the other thread so yeah I might pop in there I'm not sure my Christmas spirit could ever be fully snuffed out - there are too many fab things about it

thanks again x

PenguinOfDeath

Smookle wrote: »

DH - He loves real ale, but I don't really want to just buy lots of bottles of local ales, one or two maybe but I havent got a clue what else I could add to this!

I did OH a beer hamper a couple of years ago, does yours like foreign beers too? This made it easier for me lol

Off the top of my head I got:
Book of local real ales pubs ie Camra good beer guide
A Leffe gift set from either tesco or BHS with a bottle, branded glass and bottle opener (split up)
A beer cooler wrap thing for the summer
Some snacks to go with the beer - nuts, pretzel sticks etc
Some beer shower gel and shampoo (this was from the Czech Republic)
And some bottles of his fave beers of course, some breweries do Christmas specials, one of his faves is Rosey Nosey which I've seen in Aldi previously.

deely

SMOOKLE for your DH what about a nice personalised beer glass or tankard, Camra's book Good Beer Guide, or membership to CAMRA, trip (and samples!) around a local brewery??

luckofthe_irish

Hi everyone, I am absolutely loving reading through all your amazing ideas! I am struggling with my creative ideas so thought I would ask for some of your wisdom...

I am contemplating making my OH a milkshake hamper for part of his Christmas present (it is our first Christmas together) as he absolutely loves strawberry milkshakes (kid at heart and loves chocolates and sweets) and I have found a good value retro milkshake maker online. Does anyone have any other ideas for what I might put in it?

Or should I just go for the standard toiletries and clothes gift for him? Is the milkshake hamper too 'out there' for a 29 year old guy?

Any advice would be extremely helpful! Thanks

deely

luckofthe_irish wrote: »

Hi everyone, I am absolutely loving reading through all your amazing ideas! I am struggling with my creative ideas so thought I would ask for some of your wisdom...

I am contemplating making my OH a milkshake hamper for part of his Christmas present (it is our first Christmas together) as he absolutely loves strawberry milkshakes (kid at heart and loves chocolates and sweets) and I have found a good value retro milkshake maker online. Does anyone have any other ideas for what I might put in it?

Or should I just go for the standard toiletries and clothes gift for him? Is the milkshake hamper too 'out there' for a 29 year old guy?

Any advice would be extremely helpful! Thanks

Ikea had some nice old fashioned style glasses in cream or pink I think in store, like these...
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10149675/

Fancy straws, like the stripy paper ones in Home Bargains, or the straws that have the flavour in when you sup the milk. Sachets of milkshake mix. What about biscuits, chocolate or popcorn to go with it???