Xmas gift ideas ???

[jorats]

I know it's still early but it's only 82 days till xmas and I need ideas. Particularly for a mother in law and others. I might be shooting myself in the foot here since quite a few members of my family participate on the forum... hey, maybe they will give me ideas of what they would like.
So... what is everyone getting their families/friends for xmas and more importantly what should I be getting mine?

 

[Fidget]

I think you & your mom & sister should just give each other a card promising so many hours toward rat-sitting and so many cage-cleans. You'd all appreciate it a lot if you're sick and don't want to get out of bed for a few days... And you could save the money you'd spend on presents for your vet funds.

Mother-in-law? What about one of those digital picture frames and you could load it with pics from when your hubby was a kid thru your own kids growing up..

 

[dubchick]

i think that xmas decorations are a great xmas gift idea for somone who you dont know what to get for.

 

[Dahlas]

Oh do we have to start thinking of that already. I used to absolutely love Christmas....but the last few years have been so hectic......My goal is to try and have a nice relaxing family Christmas

 

[raindrop]

Me too, Dahlas. Our Christmas was crappy last year. It won't be hard to decide what to get our parents and in-laws this year. We have enlarged photo of Christine's wedding and DVDs to buy them. It should be easy for us this year

Ann

 

[OldsGal]

This year our family has decided to do gifts that are ... oh whats the word ... not useable .... but ... oh practical maybe? For instance gas gift cards, gift cards for groceries, fishing permits, park permits, we are buying my grandparents a premium channel for a year, my other grandma we are paying for DVR for a year, just things that people can really use and with the economy going south some extra help the the necessities goes a long way. Oh and mom is threatening to get back to the basics of getting everyone socks, undies, and robes for xmas LOL

Staci

 

[anita1216]

This year our family has decided to do gifts that are ... oh whats the word ... not useable .... but ... oh practical maybe? For instance gas gift cards, gift cards for groceries, fishing permits, park permits, we are buying my grandparents a premium channel for a year, my other grandma we are paying for DVR for a year, just things that people can really use and with the economy going south some extra help the the necessities goes a long way. Oh and mom is threatening to get back to the basics of getting everyone socks, undies, and robes for xmas LOL

Staci

Thats a fabulous idea, brilliant. I am definately going to take a page from that train of thought.
I am getting my babies a playpen. They have been good boys and need more play area.

*mind if I steal it and claim it as mine?

 

[henry's_mum]

We too are going back to basics this year. Gift Certs. and needed things, as aposed to things someone "thinks" you'll like, but you never useit, or give it away to someone else who can!

The only ones getting absolutely whatever FUN stuff they want this year at our house is the ones who run the house!

Cole- 2yr old son
Daytona- 5 yr old Keeshond(dog)
Sassy- 2 yr old rescue (dog)
the bunns- 4-5 yr old (rabbit rescue)
Henry&-------- - the most ADORABLE boys EVER!

 

[Dewi]

I'm boring. My gifts are, and will be, gift vouchers from one of the bookstores or cold hard cash. Lately I've also been giving photo frames as these are easy pleasers. I'm basically giving what I would want. My sister still doesn't get the hint though, she tends to buy me things like pretty nik-naks to put on display... basically dust collectors. For the person who has everything or who wants nothing (like my dad), I give food or a bottle of gin or scoth (something like that), which seems to go down a treat every time :lol: .

 

[jorats]

For that last few years I've been doing gift certificates. I guess I'll stick with that again. The only problem with that for my mother in law, she hates shopping and spends practically ever waking moment at the bingo. I did once buy her a gift card at her favorite bingo but she saw her son there buying it. :roll:

 

[SQ]

I know that I always appreciate gift certificates to the grocery store.

 

[Cait]

I'm with Dewi. Book store gift cards, picture frames, and food.

And like Henry's_Mum, the only one getting anything remotely cool are the youngin's. (This in my house also means me, so that's fine. But I can't ever think of anything I want, so what's the point, really.)

I usually just ask everyone. What they say, they get. So I make sure to tell them they can't tell anyone else what they told me, ha ha! Like, Alyssa this year wants a Nightmare Before X-Mas car set. Ta-da, it's already in my closet. Sharisse wants some fruity weird shirt and shoe thing. Ta-da, it's also already in my closet. I'm so ready for Christmas. I love it. Love love love.

I'm a Christmas Nazi. Not in the Urban Dictionary sense of the word. In the Roswell sense.

 

[Fidget]

i think that xmas decorations are a great xmas gift idea for somone who you dont know what to get for.

That's what I give my son & his wife, and my daughter every year! If it sounds like I'm cheap I am, but I also have no money and anything they want is expensive stuff I never heard of. And I totally hate agonizing over what *stuff* to buy and having christmas be about *stuff* we buy & get rather than the people we are grateful to have in our lives.

Every christmas my mom's xmas tree brings back precious memories for me of xmas's past when I look at the ornaments... from the ones I remember seeing on my grandparent's tree, to the tiny teddy bear my parents bought my first christmas, to the ones I grew up with on my parent's tree, to the piece of egg carton I covered with foil when I was little, to the little plastic picture frames I put pics in of my children each year for their first few years and glued back-to-back for my parents.... memories come flooding back and really do take me back, and I really feel our loved ones gone are there with us.. To me that's what christmas should be about - being together with those you love - not about *stuff* that excites someone til it's gone & forgotten by next year (except for the little ones, they need *stuff*).

So I buy *stuff* for my grandkids, but I search hard to find the parents each one really special ornament for the tree (something I think will interest my grandchild that year so it stirs memories of that year ever after) and use a gold pen to put the year on it, and coat that with jewelry glaze so it doesn't rub off.
That way I'm with them every christmas (cause I don't see them every christmas) and I will be even when I'm gone (mwahaha). And will even be with my grandkids and their kids if they're sentimental like me looking at their parent's ornaments every year.

Yup, the presents are pretty cheap but the sentiments are priceless. I hope these days of technology and disposeable stuff haven't taken the appreciation of simple things like christmas tree ornament memories away from my kids & grandkids.

Ok, I gotta go blow my nose and dry my eyes now cause I'm like that...

(geez dubchick, you talked about us both going off on tangents... you're not just a traveller, you're a travel agency :lol: )

 

[Godmother]

I'm all for making Christmas less stressful. I hate to start thinking about it already.

for a while our family drew names, so that each of us would only have to think of one present. that was a big help.