Gift Giving....some thoughts

Just a few pictures of presents I have already received from my friends. The picture above is some beautiful hand cream...it will look so nice in my new bathroom
Picture below is one of two plates from the Villeroy and Boch... acapulco range. My friend thought she would start me off ...it is going to take me a while to collect all 6 plates and pasta bowls! I love the shape of these plates but haven't eaten off one yet....maybe Christmas day, everyone else at the table can have a boring white plate but I will have my special 'plate'...only joking!

I love Christmas! Its not always easy though...dealing with prickly relatives...but I love the whole ceremony of putting up the tree, writing Santa Claus lists (14 year old son still refers to Santa LOL) listening to Christmas carols, school holidays and of course presents!

On the subject of gift giving...I have found that many people find it very stressful and an unnecessary expense to do the whole Christmas thing....and that's OK! Sometimes I feel for them its only an obligation not a pleasure in both giving and receiving gifts. I love doing both and spend weeks thinking and planning the perfect present for my friends and family.

My beautiful Nanny was such a lovely person to buy for. The joy her face when each gift was opened was really her gift to me. It made me feel so special when she opened my gift because I knew she would love it no matter what is was. My Grandfather was a different story however...one year, he threw back the gift my poor brother had to give him on behalf of the family. Pop yelled at him "More socks! look at how many I have already got" then proceeded to grab my brother and took him into his bedroom to show him all the socks he had in his draw( nothing we gave him was ever good enough for him no matter how much it cost) I have come to terms over my Grandfathers attitude towards us but really, there was no excuse other than he was just a rude man and made Christmas for us uncomfortable.

So.......even though I sometimes struggled on Christmas day, I am always 'determined'(I say this because someone will go out of their way to be difficult) to be happy and create a wonderful experience for my own children. This year, my 2 older boys have gone out and bought presents for the family by themselves with their own money. We never expected them to do this but one day we saw 4 presents all wrapped up under the tree from my 14 year old son. To me that was the most beautiful gift I have ever received. There is something very special when your own child gives you a gift.

Mrs B