what to buy?

[ethanryan]

hi i have had my nieces stay with me for a while now and they are going back home next week. i wanted to buy them something special to take home with them. the two older ones are 4 and 7. i dont want to give them money as i believe it will be spent on my sister. cant be something of much value ie jewellery as my sister will prob sell it. but wanted to buy them something a bit different just to say how much i love and will miss them

[lorri24601]

how about a making a scrap book style thing, with photos and memories of things you have done together while they have been with you and maybe a cuddly toy each :-)

[Kimbles20]

Perhaps if you have taken photos while they have been staying with you or have been out on day trips to places you could put together a scrap book of your time together? That way, the only value is sentimental and your sister will not be able to sell it.

[ethanryan]

hi lorri thats a great idea, we could start it over the next week. it could be something i kept with me and we added to when they came to my house.
thanks

[Aprilis]

Why not take them to Claire's Accessories and tell them they have, say a fiver each, to choose something? Little girls love that shop and they will have all sorts to choose from; nothing that is of any value to make it worth your sister taking away from them and selling. You'll not just be giving them a material gift but spending time going out and doing something especially for them (and at little expense).

[Kimbles20]

Oops! Sorry - must have been in the middle of typing when lorri24601 posted theirs!

[Aprilis]

Ethanryan, the scrapbook is an excellent idea. That would be really special.

I am obviously not imaginative and creative enough!

[lorri24601]

Hee hee, great minds kimbles :-)

[ethanryan]

thanks everyone. i will go with the scrap book idea. i was going to take them shopping for a new outfit and a bite to eat before they go on fri, so maybe a trip toclaires too.

[DONNNAKEBAB]

Ethanryan, your neices sound so adorable ! the scrapbook is a wonderful idea from the other girls. I do lots of scrap books and have a decade of them right from the plastic pregnancy test with the little pink plus sign in it from the day I found I was pregnant with my little girl (now almost 11). You can put all sorts in scrap books, you could even back them with wrapping paper that you can get from Woolworths and WH Smith with their names on (or even print your own from your computer). Start with putting foundation on their little hands and making skin coloured hand prints of their hands - foot prints too, with the names and ages next to them. You could put post cards in there of pictures of where they live and even a letter in an envelope each for them telling them how much you love them. Keep everything, cinema tickets, bus tickets, everything, their memories will be captured every time they see the book.

The other thing I was going to suggest was a Digital Photo frame with you having loaded up nice pics of you with them for them to put in their bedroom. Keep the box etc at your house with the receipt etc in the event that your sister may decide to sell it for a few pounds.

Do you live far from your sister ? When will you see your neices next?

Oh, I have just had a thought, Asda have some �5.00 mobile phones in stock, perhaps you could get the 7 year old one of those for you to ring / text your neices to it and you could perhaps top it up for them with your debit card by �5.00 a month so they could send you texts too ?

Katie. x