Anyone got any good xmas diyish gift / gadget ideas?

'All it needs' is for people to stop being so f-in selfish and listen to our polite (initially) request? Why would you waste the time and money doing something where the recipient had explicitly requested you didn't and expressed the view that 1) they didn't want it and 2) that the money spent (could be) be put to a positive cause?

Any card containing anything that was likely to shag our shredder (that also shreds CD's) would likely be opened to see what it might contain.

HTH. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

I guess it depends how often you get yer van broken into? ;-(

Cheers, T i m

A letter?

Is that not similar to a card?

Its still paper based and still needs a stamp.

Yes.

Similar, yes, but not the same (they even have different names and are made out of different materials (letters are generally just paper and not covered in glitter or heavy ink, rendering them un-recyclable).

It does indeed but would typically contain more personal information and questions than some card created by someone else. Unless you make your own cards, write your own text and add information about you and your family whilst asking after theirs?

Cheers, T i m

not if it's hand delivered. I have 34 to deliver tomorrow.

Unlikely, from the discussions I've had it's more like 'we send them to everyone' or 'we send them to 'them' so we also send them to you' (have to treat all the family the same etc). People just don't have the mindfulness to understand that not everyone sees things like they do. And I'm not the one forcing anything on anyone else.

I'm not offended by the cards themselves, just the general lack of real consideration behind the spirit of them. You probably won't be able to understand that because you were happy to gamble with everone's lives re Brexit.

No? Would you recommend that we do?

Cheers, T i m.

But you do all this Xmyth stuff so you must be an active Christian no?

Phew.

Hopefully very very slim!

And seasons greetings to you Jimbo. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

'Have' could imply you aren't anything to do with them?

(Serious question) If you are, how many of those 34 do you think will be truly appreciated?

I mean, will they just get opened, read (even if only to see who they are from) and then hung / stood up somewhere, before being thrown away or kept to form a 'we must send a card to' list for next year?

Do you think / care if people actually study the picture on the front or the words inside?

If the card is sent to a couple / family, how many of them do you believe read / enjoy / actually appreciate said ... or isn't that the point?

If I'm assuming too much importance with such things, do you still thing it's a good use of money and resources? 60M people in the UK all sending even 20 cards ... ?

Cheers, T i m

;-) Ask next year and I'll try and come up with a different suggestion.

Ah, not really watched any of that because it (ironically) seemed as weird as you do! ;-)

Sending bits of folded cardboard to your *friends*. Weird ...

Cheers, T i m

I was more intrigued how you would know where to send the video if you have destroyed the card before opening it and hence don't know who sent it...

Yup, I have a couple of those and they are good. Only thing is none of the folks I am getting presents for are into plumbing.

Although perhaps that is just down to their lack of spanners ;-)

Well while doing some shopping, I had Amazon slip a bottle of Laphroaig Quater Cask into the basket... A glass of that can even make T i m seem cheerful!

:-)

Chris

I got one this year with a blank envelope AND card. The wit that gave me it said that I might prefer it blank so I could reuse it!

NT

It's a way to re-establish a bit of a social link with folk you're otherwise falling out of touch with. Who in the UK can't afford xmas cards? It's not as if they're compulsory anyway.

NT

My recent plumbing experiences point towards a need for robust but thin open ended spanners.

If you are going to bother to hand someone a factory filled piece of folded cardboard, it might as well be blank because all you are adding to it is your name (and I'm guessing the recipient already knows that) and as they say, could at least be used again.

Maybe that's it. Have a Post-it-note like area where you can add your name and a window in the envelope where you can add yours. Still pretty pointless (a procedure from my POV) but at least they could be reused and be personalised..

Cheers, T i m

I really meant that 'when it wasn't obvious where the card came from because of the handwriting or because it was given to another family member to give to me', I would open it to see if it was from, close it again and then shred / video it.

With her Mum it took her to tear it in half in front of her (unopened) before she got what we were asking (sounds harsh but we had asked often enough and that manage to do the trick).

Because neither of us are religious, neither of us send / hand Xmyth cards to anyone because why would we? Just in the same way we wouldn't actively get involved in any other religious / other 'tradition / ceremony if it wasn't a natural part of our lives.

'We don't do Christmas' is generally all it needs for most people but for others, it takes a bit more.

Like, if we go somewhere where they are aware we 'Don't do Christmas' and so know they won't get a card or presents, how do they think it makes us feel when they then give us a card or present? They say they are happy to give without receiving (and I get that in general) but at Xmas the 'tradition' is 'exchanging' gifts?

Why is it assumed that we would celebrate Xmas but not Duvali, Hanukkah or Imbolc?

Cheers, T i m