This post is brought to you by Ibis Hotels
‘I want to give you something you can use!’
It’s a popular refrain at Christmas. And I get it. I really do. I could certainly use a new bin to put beside the loo. A new outdoor broom would be handy and I could certainly use a summer’s supply of mozzie coils. But do I want them as a gift? Not really. I like surprises and because of that I do get things I may not want and will never use. To me, that’s Christmas – the agony and the ecstasy.
This is why I’m not a fan of the gift card.
I’d rather get something useless, but chosen with thought, even the wrong thought. I refuse to see anything someone buys me as a wasted opportunity. Gift cards (unless extremely specific) mean a trip to the shops and possibly a new outdoor broom but there’s not much magic to them is there?
That might just be me. Many people I know and love see a gift that misses the mark as a missed opportunity … ‘If you’re going to spend $25 on me it might as well be on something I need, not what you think I’d like.’
But soon I worry that Christmas gift giving will become like the stock exchange, all business and no emotion. Brightly wrapped gifts under the tree will become a somber little stack of envelopes. Christmas shopping – which is meant to end on the December 24 continues into January as parents are nagged into taking kids to spend their gift cards.
Because of my stance, I do receive my fair share of useless gifts. I think my family is now making a point of seeking them out. There have been some doozies, but none matches the gift my friend Kym receives from her mother in law every year – a flat sheet for a single bed. Not a cheap sheet, it has a high thread count and is stylishly and simply white. Kym’s mother in law says, ‘You can never have too many flat white sheets.’ Actually, thinks Kym, yes, you can.
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In Kym’s case I can see why she is dreaming not of a white sheet, but of a brightly coloured gift card.
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How do you feel about the gift card? Is useful important to you? What’s the most useful gift you’ve been given?
Comments
89 Comments so far
I used to quite like gift cards. I enjoyed shopping and finding something that wa special and I knew I wouldn’t be out of pocket for at the end of it. My Nana used to give me gift cards or money as a standard. And one of my favourite things was going to visit my Nan after my shopping trip to show her the thing/s I had purchased. We both really enjoyed it. Now, I have kids… and if someone gives ME a gift card, 9 times out of 10, I’ve ended up spending the money on my children in some way or another. I got gift cards for my last birthday totalling $150. I had grand plans to go and buy myself a new dress or some shoes, a food processor… maybe a new lipstick or something else like that. You know what I ended up spending $150 worth of Coles/Myer gift cards on? A weeks worth of groceries including (totally glamerous) toilet paper and a can of formula. Happy Birthday!
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My mother in law also gave me a single flat sheet for Xmas one year – prior to when we had our children and therefore prior to when we had single beds.
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Aaargh! I read a comment below about giving people a list of suggestions and I thought that was a good idea to give my husband so I got my iPhone out. I have carefully, over a long period of time, collected present ideas on a note in my phone for the key people in our lives. I also put things in there that I wanted myself, to suggest for presents. You can see where this is heading can’t you? I accidentally deleted the note, and there’s no freakin’ undo option on a iPhone. Epic fail. Am actually feeling quite anxious about losing all the ideas. Now I have to start all over again! I can’t remember anything that was on there as I haven’t had to look at it in a while. Crappity crap crap!
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Actually the iPhone has a ‘shake to undo’ feature…
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oh man, I wish I’d known that before!
Sigh!
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Almost every year my grandma gives us ten grandchildren either a box of hankies (for the boys), a teacup set (for the girls) or $50 in a Chrissy card. we are aged between 18 and 28. Any guesses for what we all hope for??
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This year I have spent close to $800 already on xmas gifts. I have decided that next year our family will donate $800 to a charity, and go without prezzies. It is only for one year, and the kiddlies will (hopefully) apreciate the difference we can make in someones life.
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My mum did this when I was 21 and had just gotten married (we had every appliance known to man and all the rest) I loved it. She got promo photos of water wells and the goat we had purchased and info on the area that received it and it was great. We were a bit shocked to see a tree w 3-4 little pressies but happily went and enjoyed our feast knowing we had done a little something to help. We then had kids and she fell off the charity wagon in exchange for fisher price. Maybe another year.
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Thank you Kate!!! I am facing your exact horror scenario of gift cards this year.
My mother in law is the worst for spoiling the surprise. To the point where she’ll tell me what she’s bought for my daughter, and even gave her (or rather us as it was a gift card) the Christmas present at her birthday in November.
I’m not getting many presents for myself anymore. The in-laws have decided we’ll only give presents to the kids, and my family back home seems to have given up on me living so far away, so I live out my joy of surprices through my daughter.
I continued on to let my mother-in-law know what I’m giving my husband, and that they could chip in if they want, to wich she replies “No thanks, we’re giving you the same gift as last year” (and the year before that), which is a homemade Christmas hamper with a whole bunch of stuff we don’t eat or need, and a gift card for K-mart… Oh happy days and Merry Christmas.
I know I sound like a sourpuss, but when you spend a lot of time thinking up the perfect present for everyone in your life, it’s such a deflating feeling when no one returns the thoughtfulness…
And I miss my mum ;o)
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I don’t mind the occasional gift card but it can get out of hand. Gift giving should be about the thought, it is not thoughtful when your family get togethers become a scene from a western – gift cards at twenty paces.
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I love giving gifts and am generally not a fan of the gift card or at least I wasn’t until I was given a menstrual diary according to which I was meant to run naked through the fields during certain phases of the moon
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I was given a bottle of Pert for my 18th birthday by my then bf’s Nanna.
Yep. Pert….
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Um, what is pert??
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A manky 2 in 1 shampoo conditioner from the 80′s.
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hahaha, epic present fail.
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Glad to hear it wasn’t a reeeeally cheap version of port.
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I got a half-empty bottle of bubble bath from my grandmother one Christmas, my mum then put her foot down and we got cash in the xmas card ever since! I know what I prefer
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my brothers have given my useless gifts in the past…one year, brother #1 went to a tourist shop and got me a box of the “touristy” choc coated macadamias, and a pair of koala socks.
another year, brother 1 and brother 2 both got me the same shania twain cd. good communication there guys!
last year, brother 2 got me one of those $10 donut makers from kmart
the ILs have given me some pretty crap gifts, too…some are good, most are crap
now i ask for vouchers, or in the case of my brothers state specifics, such as “i want harry potter and the deathly hallows part 1 and 2 on dvd for christmas”.
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I am happy with a present or a gift card, either says “I thought about getting you a gift and I did”. I appreciate everything I’m given.
Don’t always appreciate the things my husband is given, though, he gets given lots of random things, like sculptures of dragons and skulls and things. Our house is full of that kind of stuff. I call it the crap cycle. People give him crap, we put it on display somewhere because it was a gift, other people see it, assume we like it, and give us more crap, which we put on display… etc….
For those who have trouble with their family, in our family we do “Santa Letters” which are just a list of things you want so people can get you the right gift. It must start “Dear Santa” and contain a letter to Santa as well as the list.
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We have always done ‘whish lists’ as well. It just makes life so much easier on everyone.
And I don’t like the tendency of telling individuals what you want from them individually. If there’s a list, you won’t get it all, you won’t know exactly what you get, and even if people aren’t able to give you what’s on the list, there’s an option for them to find something that falls within some of the categories.
I love the idea of the santa letter though, will introduce that one to my girl when she gets old enough!
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u do the funniest sponsored posts kate. Always so funny and humourous it never bothers me its sponsored when its you.
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my biggest fault with gift buying is that i always overdo the self-gift. especially at christmas. this year i already have two self-gifts ready to tuck under the christmas tree!
i love a gift card! if that is what people ask for i get it for them, and i am pretty fond of one for me too.
the biggest issue i have with gift cards is once i am given one it pretty much guarantees i won’t be able to find something in that particular shop for some time.
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I love gift giving! I’m a very thoughtful gift buyer, I really like giving people something I know they will love. I generally only get gift cards if someone specifically asks for one( like my sister this year who needs post pregnancy clothes)
Also, I work in retail and I think its a bit sad when people just get a card when i can help them find an awesome gift…
My grandmother used to buy my mum underwear and a petticoat every year. My mums never worn a petticoat in her life…
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I am a very careful, thoughtful gift giver, so much so that my dad says I should do it for a living (I’m pretending it’s because of the thoughtfulness and not my shopping prowess!).
I don’t mind a gift card, particularly for a store I actually go to. For example, for Christmas my cousin is getting a voucher for the music store he has a guitar on lay-by at. I think this will make him happy.
I have been a little hurt by a gift card given to me six weeks after my birthday…and the expiry date gave away the fact it had been purchased that day. It was for the movies, for a cinema an hour from my house but near the givers.
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I would be cheesed off by the movie ticket gift! Shows a real lack of thoughtfulness.
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I love buying, wrapping and giving gifts to the people I love. I love shopping for others more than I do for myself.
My MIL (who lives in the UK) is the most shit present-giver ever.
One year I watched as my husband excitedly unwrapped a Christmas present from his parents. They had cleared out their attic, found about 20 tiny toy cards that my husband had been given as a small child – FREE from the petrol station, wrapped them up and sent them to him here in Australia as a grown adult. He was so crestfallen.
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Oh wow. That takes the cake.
My MIL gave my husband a pair of black sox when our second child was born. Yep. They were not even the type that he wears. It was awful at the time. Now it makes me giggle!
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Yes, we can laugh after the fact can’t we?!
When our second child was born, my husband called them to tell them the exciting news, but he had to leave a message for them. And they NEVER CALLED BACK!!! It was like 4 months before we heard back from them. But apparently they emailed their friends etc to tell them they had a new granddaughter. But just forgot to congratulates the actual parents!
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No way! Crazy stuff.
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I would just prefer that everyone made a donation to a charity of their choice instead of buying me anything, and give me a card telling me they’ve done that. I’ve made my wishes known and while my Grandpa (bless his heart) always does that, no one else does and if I do that for other people apparently I’m the bad guy.
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I have a lot of family members who don’t particularly want or need anything. But I know from past experience, charitable gifts are not well received. Even though they won’t really want whatever I give them, they’d still prefer getting something themselves than giving something to people in need. It’s such a shame. I really resent buying them anything these days.
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I totally agree on the charity donation instead of a gift especially when the gift isn’t something you want. I’m really hard to buy for (quite fussy) so would much much prefer people not to waste their time thinking of a present, and buy a cow in Africa instead!
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I would love a charity donation as a gift. My Mum and Dad used to do that with each other. They would sponsor a child together. I try and buy as much as I can from oxfam or charity stores but this year am making a few gifts for the women but no idea what for the men. I’m going to go to oxfams website now
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I love gift cards. I haven’t gotten a dud present in years because of them. I think if you don’t have a good handle on someone’s taste or you just can’t think of a good gift, better you buy them a gift card they can actually use instead of something that will just be shoved in the back of a cupboard and given to the op-shop in a few years. I hate waste. And honestly, when you receive something like a cheapie lotion set, how much thought has really gone into it?
It’s hard to shop for people, even if you know them well. It’s rare I risk buying something a friend has talked about, because 99% of the time they’ll buy it for themselves soon after. Another problem is vague instructions. My mum’s hinted she’d like an ice-cream maker for Christmas, but I don’t know if she wants an attachment for her Kitchenaid or a standalone one, and she won’t tell me even though I know she know’s EXACTLY what she wants. Better I give her a voucher and let her buy the right thing.
For some people a gift card really is a thoughtful gift. Nothing makes my dad happier than having a Bunnings gift card to spend. I could go to Bunnings and buy the exact same things he would buy, and it still wouldn’t make his face light up like a gift card does.
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I don’t think there’s anything wrong with gift cards. I would much rather buy or receive a gift card than to buy or receive an item of clothing. Clothing is very personal and more often than not, you have to try before you buy.
If I don’t know what to get someone, I get really nice Christmas decorations. That way, when they hang it on their tree, they can think of me
But hey, we should be grateful to receive anything when so many people go without.
Merry Christmas!! Can’t believe it’s so close now!
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I LOVE gift cards …. I am not a fan of surprise presents. Also the thought of giving someone a useless gift they willl never use makes my neck itch
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I’m finding the gift card is becoming necessary for other people’s kids. What don’t they have ? I know kids who asked if they could open the rest of their presents the following day as there were so many they had “present fatigue” – try giving them something unique that would be appreciated !
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I haaatteee getting the cheapo perfume sets & candles. Every freakin’ year!
Also a family member works for Avon so I constantly get Avon things, for every occasion for the last 3 years.
I put in a lot of effort, do a lot of observing and listening. I usually start in July to get everything done and make sure it’s thoughtful and that it’ll make them happy. That’s my definition of Christmas Gifts.
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I have a family member who works for the large company that used to own Elizabeth Arden so we have lots of samples, damaged bottles bought at staff sample sales and handed on to me etc literally flooding our house. So to get a cheapo kmart perfume set (almost every year from SIL) is really unappreciated!
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I put in a lot of effort too. I think this is why I am especially disappointed in a thoughtless gift.
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Ohh I love love love gift cards! It’s the gift that keeps on giving – you get to think about what you’d like and go shopping and pick out the perfect thing and then text the person that gave you the card to let them know what they’ve bought you. Plus I hate the thought of someone I love wasting money on something that I don’t want or need – even though I’m grateful that they’ve thought of me, I hate that they’ve spent money on something I won’t use.
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I hate a useless or ‘prank’ gift, which I seem to get a lot of (prob due to my refusal to tell people what I’d like….what I’d like is a surprise, dammit!
), so I love a gift card!
On the other hand, I love to try and match a good (useful) gift to people, so I hate buying them
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“I’d rather get something useless, but chosen with thought, even the wrong thought.” YES, YES, YES!
I excuse vouchers from grandparents because they are old and sometimes they feel out of touch and stressed by the idea of gift giving. But truly, I always feel disappointed when I receive one. It’s like someone saying to me, “I don’t know you that well and I haven’t bothered to think about what you might like.”
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Money in a card from Nana is a time-honoured tradition.
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I always appreciate a book voucher!
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Love vouchers, I have enough stuff I don’t need or use. A voucher means I can get stuff I need or want. Also if I can’t use them I re gift them. I find them practical.
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I’m not a fan of vouchers. Oh I wouldn’t be upset if someone gave me one, but they feel like such a cop out.
However the worst was when my Aunt and Uncle gave me and my sister gift cards to the record shop they owned! Yup. They couldn’t actually walk the extra meter and pick something up off the shelves. It also wasn’t for a particularly generous amount, from memory not quite enough to buy a CD so we had to spend a bit to use it! In terms of gifts, I think they would have been better off giving us nothing.
I love buying the perfect gift for everyone, but I must admit my immediate family’s tradition of “santa lists” really does help (and they are the only people I buy for). Everyone writes a long list. You know you aren’t going to get everything so what does arrive is a surprise but always a welcome one. It is a great system.
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Love the voucher, especially if they are thoughtful. I feel SO uncomfortable with waste and unnecessary consumerism, so vouchers work for me – giving them and receiving them.
This year I’m giving my parents a gift voucher for a night at a beautiful hotel with gorgeous views of the city and river. They actually used to live there in the sixties when it was an apartment building. My M and D have EVERYTHING they could possibly need, and more, and truly don’t need anything material. Last year I sent them whale watching. They loved it. Technically it was a voucher, but they said it was one of the best things ever.
A voucher to the person’s favourite shop, accompanied by their favourite bottle of wine, is a great gift if you ask me (that’s what bro-in-law will get this year!)
Not into vouchers for kids though.
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Me again…
Am always grateful for a voucher and then thank the voucher-giver again once I have used it. I always use it soon after receiving and mention to the giver what fabulous treat was chosen with said voucher.
Yep. True voucher freak. Have really got to get out more
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My father once bought my mother some wet weather gear. She’d been hoping for a handbag.
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My father bought my mum earrings as a holiday present from Ireland. Only problem was they have been married for nearly 30 years and he didn’t realise her ears aren’t pierced. You bet she was happy:)
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Oh no!! Lol
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Oooh, I hate the retail store gift card too. And I always said I would never inflict them on family or friends – but this year we’ve decided to do a ‘stuff free’ Christmas. Everyone in my family just has too mich ‘stuff’ already, which makes them hard to buy for. Instead we’re buying everyone ‘expereinces’, or at least services, they wouldn’t buy for themselves, which has taken the form of the dreaded gift card.
Mum and dad are off to the theatre, my brother has a voucher for a ticketing agency to take himself to whatever band he and his girlfriend want to see and the brother in law is getting a professional car detailing. … Fingers crossed they appreciate the thought…
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Sounds fabulous to me!
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I don’t like shop vouchers but i do like experience vouchers. So i might promise my nieces and nephews a trip to the Royal easter Show, Luna Park, a theatre show or the Zoo (all expenses paid of course). Things that their parents may not want to do with them or might not be able to afford. That way we have a great day out together and create lovely memories.
Another favourite is a magazine subscription – if its a particular interest or one that they might love but its too expensive.
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Can I be your niece please?!
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‘BTM800 Tea Maker”
This is an appliance now? I thought the process was kettle – > tea (leaves or bags) -> teapot – >cup.
I got some Swiss Diamond cookware (small pot, smallish frying pan) a few years ago; love love love, and that’s one of the most useful gifts I can remember.
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teapot?
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We have been known to buy mil a gift card for her local bookshop – i would love to buy her a book but it’s very rare that i spot a book she would like before her so it makes more sense to give her a gift card so she can snap up the next new release she wants.
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my husband and i were given a giftcard for our wedding one of those coles myers ones that span all the stores. we went from store to store with that $50 and could not agree on anything so we ended up going to the supermarket a went on a splurge.
i bought off my husband once he couldnt find anything in the store but i did so we did a trade of. and both got what we wanted
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i saw on ellen today that a lady got a cemitery lot from her in-laws for xmas… hilariass…
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Oh My. God.
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Was the headstone included?
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lol… she didn’t say kate, but imagine how akward…
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I have found people who give generously to others are pretty rare these days. I know people who will spend crazy amounts of money on themselves regularly, yet when it comes to buying a gift for someone else they begrudge spending $20, or dont want to give them something nice and will give them a giftcard to a shop nowhere near them or a handcream. Handcream is the most insulting gift ever! If you cant think of anything else dont bother
And we have a few expired giftcards I have just discovered. Very annoying. Even more annoying is when the kids are given Westfield vouchers and the one thing they want to buy with it is in a shop that doesnt take them.
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I love handcreams!!
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Me too! I wash my hands a lot, and it helps maintain skin integrity,
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Me too! I love getting fancy handcream and body wash. It’s a real treat for me. The only stuff I buy myself is from the supermarket and one of my fave gifts is the Rose Shower Gel or Handcream from Jurlique. Luxurious!
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I like getting nice hand creams, but those no-name $10-15 hand cream, lotion and soap sets you see in Kmart and supermarkets around Christmas and Mothers Day are awful. If you have that little of an idea of what to buy someone, either don’t buy them anything or give them a packet of chocolates.
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I’m the generous giver. Mainly because I buy gifts all through the year then come Christmas suddenly realise I’m giving everyone several things. Oh well, I love the act of present giving.
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Don’t say that! I just bought my mum hand cream for her birthday tomorrow…. though I did also buy her a few facial sessions to lol hope that makes up for the hand cream!
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What kind of hand-cream? I often buy Crabtree & Evelyn for my mother, because I know she wouldn’t pay that much for herself.
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I just bought my mum hand cream for Christmas. She loves the Dermalogica one but in Aus it is $46 and here in UK I picked it up for £15 ($22.50) so got her two
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I actually asked for handcream this year. I think it’s a great gift.
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I love a gift card except for when I forget to spend it! Happens way too often to me!
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My husband once bought me a computer. At the time I was a little unhappy (not THE most romantic gift) but God it was useful. In fact in retrospect – best present ever
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My husband once bought me a street directory. The following year it was a GPS – it has saved my arse on countless occasions, but I still felt he was trying to tell me something…
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Haha, my sister got a GPS from our partents last year and she was quite miffed. That being said, it got used SO much through the year so she has now admitted it was, in fact, quite a good pressies!
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I had a friend who was too lazy to go and spend the gift cards he received so he would SELL THEM to his mum. How’s that for Christmas spirit?
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Breathtaking. Makes Scrooge look like a philanthropist
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Gift cards are haaaaaaard, especially since then the person knows exactly how much you spent on them.. can be awkward in situations when you’ve spent $50 on a nice present for someone and they hand over a gift card for $20.. and yes it has happened to me!!
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I hate to say this but I think Kate’s right. I have always been fond of giftcards but it really only works if it’s for a brand/shop that you already love. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve been given gift vouchers in the past for shops I never frequent and the gift cards have lapsed (which is shameful).
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Or you get those shopping centre wide cards that hardly any shops accept. I’ve let them expire before too.
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I once got a copper mould of a rooster. That was my most unuseful gift but my most useful was a blender. Love it
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Copper mould of a rooster – wow, you win ! I can’t top that.
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One of those stuffed cats that look like they are asleep (or dead). My son chose it when he was about 3. I said to my husband that he has to steer said son in the right direction. It is now known as ‘the dead cat incident’ and hasn’t occurred again, thank God!!
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One of my friends got me a creepy rabbit one year – it’s got a hard shell but then is layered with soft furry stuff on top so it looks REALLY real. Very creepy, and completely inexplicable! My family laughed about it for ages.
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Is yours still on show somewhere cos if I put the cat away my son asks where it is. He thinks I love it!!!
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