but DD10 is heavily into science and particularly astronomy. So far she's definitely getting a microscope and a book on astronomy. She also loves playing games with the whole family, so there will be plenty of family games coming in again this year, including a chess set. Always plenty of books, especially nature books and one maths book (what a mean mother!). She's also getting a Gap cardigan, long and cream, which we saw some time back but which was really not cheap by my standards and I thought maybe we'd see something similar elsewhere.

DS is getting binoculars and a set of the Magnetix/Geomag things from his grandparents for his birthday. More books as always, and an MP3 player - DD got a CD player for her birthday last year so we thought when he asked for the MP3 player it would make a good grandparent gift. Generally we don't do anything that has batteries except maybe watches! Games don't have batteries and nor do toys.

I'm looking for a proper but cheap version of The Polar Express - we have an old copy but the quality is awful. I also like to get one Christmas book and one Christmas CD each year, but I tend to make those 'advent' gifts so we can enjoy them for the whole season.

I've never had a girly girl so I only know what mine has and what I buy for my cousin's girly girl. This year I bought her a window cling craft set because she's growing out of her fairy/princess stage at last. Stickers are always welcome, and I bought some of those Rainbow Fairy books for this one last year too. I might be getting a load of the Princess Diaries for my DD this year. She enjoyed the first, book and film, but we've struggled to find the second book recently. Not sure my cousin's girl is really ready for that at age 7.

Clothes, vouchers, books... fill in the gaps!

Kerri.