Gift Giving for the Holidays

[Carolyn]

Have you started shopping yet?

I've been getting some great deals online (hate going to malls). A lot of companies are offering free shipping these days - considering the price of gas, I'll take it!!

What's the gift you're most excited to give?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I have 3 presents for three little imps that live here and 2 little things for my oldest nieces.

I used to be done by Halloween - I haven't even gotten my daughter's birthday present and it's in 2 weeks.

I'm unhappy. LOL!

 

[Snuggys Mom]

I've used Amazon a lot for the last few years. A lot of their stuff has free shipping. I can have it sent to my office, then no one can snoop!

Old Navy has a flat $5 shipping fee, no matter how much you order. That's cool, too.

My child is at the age where she only wants money. I hate it, but if I tried to buy her clothes or anything personal, she'd probably hate it. I'll still make an attempt at surprising her with something though. What she really wants is a new kitty. I don't think that will be happening anytime soon.

 

[cheryl]

Hehe,i'm one of those people who leave everything to the last minute,and then i'mhopping around like a little headless bunny...and every year i say to myself that i ain't going to do that again...but i do every year! :shock:

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Well, I am frustrated. I was going to get Lexi an iPod for her birthday but now I think I might get them both one for Christmas. Their former mp3 players are dead or dying. They are just such tiny gifts! I feel like they don't have much under the tree if I get them those and a few other things. *sigh*

So, I'm looking around to see what I find. Maybe going to get her a new cd player, cds and cd case for the birthday - we'll have to wait and see what I decide. I'm horrible about that stuff LOL!

I also hate this time of year since my hubby's work is never really solid in the winter. He could work all winter and even have overtime, or he could get laid off. He's a union Heavy Equiptment Mechanic. Work has been strange this year too *sigh*.

So I tend to try to watch the money at this time ... which makes me so mad! I love to shop for Christmas if I have the funds!

 

[TinysMom]

Well, I'm sort of doing something special for Eric since he lives away from home and I'm pretty excited about it.

First of all - Eric is 23 and a college student (part time). He lives on his own about 3 hours away - in a small town.

Starting last week - I bought him a $25 Pizza Hut gift card and a $10 Subway gift card.

I'm going to continue to buy 1-2 gift cards every week between now and Christmas and then put them together but wrapped with other things. Each package will be numbered.

For instance the Pizza Hut gift card might be with a package of napkins (all wrapped up) and number one. The Subway gift card might be wrapped with paper plates and be gift number 5. I'll have an iTunes card with DVDs he can record on and I'll have a blockbuster gift card....you get the idea.

I don't have it all worked out but it will go something like this.

One night Eric was bored and hungry. He searched his cupboards but as usual they were bare. So he decided to (open gift #1). Yes, that was a great idea. He wouldn't be hungry any more.

But he was still bored. He needed something to do. So he (open gift #2 - either a movie card or iTunes card). Yes - that was just the thing to keep him from being bored.

Still yet...he was lonely. He wanted to have friends over. But he needed to run some errands before he could have friends over so he (open gift #3 - a gas card) did his errands.

You get the idea...

Dumb...yeah. But I think he might enjoy it some.

Peg

 

[Bassetluv]

The way Christmas shopping usually goes with me is, I start early...probably mid- to late September, picking up one or two presents here and there (hoping all the while to be done by the end of October, you see). Then I'll get distracted and won't do any more shopping for a bit. Then...before you know it...it's December 20th and I still have two or three gifts to buy for people, without a clue as to what to get them. Oh, and the ones I usually wait to the last minute to buy for (not on purpose) are the people who live in another province. So they sometimes see their Christmas present in late January. :?

Bo B Bunny, I used to have the problem you face, where the Christmas season was always the one where I had no extra funds at all. Very frustrating, esp. since I was a single mom with a little boy who was at the age where he'd get so excited over Santa coming. I wound up in severe debt for a long time too, because I would overuse my already taxed credit cards instead. And I began hating Christmas because of it, unfortunately. I managed to stretch the dollar by shopping through the year, at garage sales, clearance sales, etc. Then several years ago - once I was able to - I decided to enrol in the Canada Payroll Savings Bonds...they take so much off the paycheck every two weeks (depending how much you specify, in $20 increments), and within a year there is some extra money to spend. For me it worked out great, as I'd forget the deduction was even there, and at the end of the year I'd have an extra $500 or so. For some reason I stopped doing it a couple of years back, but am just now getting back into the habit.
Do your kids like stuffed animals? One thing you can do with the iPods is attach them to a cute stuffed bear (or bunny ) and wrap that up...at least the present won't look tiny to you. I know what you mean though...sometimes those electronic gifts are so expensive, but under the tree they look so small!

Snuggy'smom, I use online shopping too now. Unfortunately I don't seem to get any shipping discounts, but it sure beats having to spend hours upon hours in a crowded mall. I still do go to the malls, but only on a flex day (like today) when it's less packed with shoppers, and only to pick up anything I couldn't find online.

The gift I was most excited to give this year was a Wii for my son. Unfortunately when I purchased it, they told me the extended Christmas warranty didn't apply (only 30-day warranty with it if anything was wrong). Since I was buying it early - as I didn't want to take the chance of not being able to get one the closer it got to Christmas - I called my son and asked if he minded having to receive his gift early. LOL...of course he didn't! So I sent it off in October, and he and his girlfriend have been enjoying it ever since. I still have some small things to send him (a book, a couple of DVDS) but he said he doesn't care if I send him nothing else, he was so excited to get this.

Peg, I used to do that with my son too. He was a student living 5-1/2 hrs away (still does live that far away, just isn't a student any more) and he lived in the basement of a house in a tiny room. Had nothing but a hotplate to cook on, and had to share that with two others. So I would give him gift cards and coupons for food and clothing, just to help him get through the year. Your son will probably appreciate what you're doing for him much more than you'll realize.

Oh, and of course now I have to go shopping for a Santa suit for Yofi...he will soooo hate me :biggrin2:. But hey, it'll be payback for the little stinker constantly getting on the stove! :X

So Carolyn, what is the gift that you're most excited to give this year??

 

[Carolyn]

I feel for parents who's kids want those small electronics. Like Bo said, they're so expensive and it looks like nothing exciting under the tree, but the kids do love it and more often than not, they know how expensive they are so they understand. Guess you could always wrap them in nesting boxes.

Yes, money - is something the love too, but personally, I don't like giving money if I can avoid it - might not be able to for my niece if I don't think of something fast.

Peg, that's a GREAT idea for your son. I would've loved it if I had gotten those things for Xmas when I was out on my own. Same to you, Bassetluv! Your son must've been thrilled to get it! Not being a child, I don't think he'd be too hung up on the day. Besides, he'll get other things from his girlfriend. I'm sure he was being sincere when he said that you wouldn't have to spend anything more on him.

As to what I'm psyched to give this year - it's not really my thing but my boyfriend doesn't have a decent socket set, so I got him a good size Craftman set. Like I said, I could care less about it, but he's going to Love it. I can't wait to surprise him with it. He's never had a "big" Christmas, so I'm diong that for him. It'll be fun for him to round the corner and see a stack of presents. (I'm lucky because all I have to buy for is him and my neice and nephew, so I can go a little crazy. I'm Very Lucky, I know it!)

Also got my nephew a remote control helicopter that looks like a blast to fly according to the video, so I'm looking forward to seeing him fly it on Xmas. :biggrin2:

 

[Bassetluv]

Aww, Carolyn, sounds like your boyfriend is going to have a wonderful Christmas! I bet just seeing him open his gifts will be a present in itself for you. (Must admit, a socket set wouldn't exactly thrill me either, but hey...boys 'n their toys! ) LOL...it reminds me of a local ad we have running here lately on the radio for a men's clothing store; in the ad they are urging women to go out and buy their guys a nice sweater, because the man will be so excited being able to open a gift and put it on right there, rather than getting a tool that would have to sit under the tree for a while. Every time I hear that ad I think, 'yeah, right....most men would be so much more excited getting a sweater than some tool they've been asking for...ha!' Every man I've ever known LOVE getting gadgets and tools!

Oh, and I have two nephews who are in their teens now, and I've resigned to giving them money. Guess I learned that the hard way. A couple of years ago I gave my brother's son, Alan, a sweater for Christmas...something I was starting to buy for him every year out of desperation, as I had no idea what else to get. When I'd ask his parents for a suggestion, they would name some electronic gadget that was in the 100's of dollars range...:shock: The only one I ever spend that much on (and even then, it's rare...this year being an exception) is my son. I remember joking to my sister that I was quickly becoming to Alan the *crazy aunt in the family who always gives sweaters or socks as a gift*, and yep, I actually was. Two years ago he opened his gift from me - another sweater - and as he put it to one side his cousin asked him, 'What'd ya get?' to which Alan replied (with a big sigh), 'What else? Another sweater'. LOL! So now I give him and his cousin money in a card, and they're both thrilled.

That helicopter does sound like fun! I bet your nephew will be thrilled with it! And isn't that just the most fun part of Christmas? Seeing the childrens' faces light up over the gifts...or, if one isn't there, hearing their excited voices when they tell you all about it.

And even though my son can't make it home for the holidays this year, I'm still so looking forward to it...can't wait! :biggrin2:

 

[Carolyn]

Bassetluv wrote:

And even though my son can't make it home for the holidays this year, I'm still so looking forward to it...can't wait! :biggrin2:

It's odd how some years, you get so into it whereas other years, you could care less if it comes or goes? I'm always grateful for those years that I get into it. It's so much more fun!

Umm...the best part of Christmas is MY PRESENTS!!!!

 

[Pet_Bunny]

This year has been busy and good. My two sons got new cars one in September and the other got his in November. I got a new company van.

I look forward to a quiet Christmas day, hopefully I don't have to go in to work.

 

[Carolyn]

Nice rides, Pet_Bunny! You must be loving the new van!

Congratulations!!!

* * * *

Almost done with my Xmas shopping. :happyrabbit:

Got the caretaker of our house something he wanted - one of those tapestries of the dogs playing poker. He has the guys over in his office once a week for poker night and has the dogs playing pool on one tapestry, but really wanted the one of the dogs playing poker as it's more fitting.

Damn, that drawing is tacky. It's so funny because I've shown it to my women friends and they all thing - Tacky Tacky Tacky!!! :nonoOn the other hand, all the guys say, "Cool!" :highfive:

 

[Stephanie]

We're pretty much done for Ayla - I started back in September as her birthday is Dec. 5, so we didnt' want to be hit all at once. There's just one more thing I need to get and that'll be ordered online. She loves this cartoon called Wonder Pets, but of course they don't sell anything in the store, it's still all Dora. Her other big gift is one of those kitchens, she's very into the whole imagination thing now.

Myhusand's birthday is also in December, on the 14th...I haven't really done much shopping for him yet, but I know what to get him. His big gift is going to be a hockey jersey for his favorite team, the Leafs.

 

[Elf Mommy]

On the Boxer board that I belong to, we exchange snail mail addresses and send out Boxer Christmas cards to each other. I'd love to send out some Christmas "Elf" cards if anyone in our Bistro wants to pm me their address. No reciprocation necessary!

 

[pamnock]

I've only bought 2 things so far . . .

A camcorder for my son and daughter-in-law and a zebra bouncy toy for my grandbaby



Pam

 

[Stephanie]

Pam, Ayla got that for her birthday last year and still loves it.