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10-24-2016 04:59 AM - edited 10-24-2016 05:01 AM
Once a Christmas fanatic, I have become somewhat of a grinch. I have lost the zeal for racking my brain as to what people would like as gifts.
Except for DH those I buy for will be getting gift certificates or cash. My nephew and his wife get cash, which they enjoy. Also nephew has been given a Christmas ornament since birth, that has been purchased.
I give up on trying to figure out what my brother wants. The past couple of years he has purposely become a PITA about giving me his list so he and his live in girlfriend are getting gift certificates for 3 nice restaurants. They like to eat out. If he doesn't like not having many gifts to unwrap, too bad he brought it on himself. Let him pout.
An elderly uncle gets wine and some home made poppy seed and nut rolls. He goes thru batteries and masking tape like water, so guess what else he's getting. Other gifts he won't use and they end up in a closet or given away, so why waste time and money.
I have bought DH 4 gifts so far, but he too better start responding to my pleas for his wants, or he will have a small pile of gifts.
What I have learned is that the people in my life already have what they need and buy the things they want and perhaps the giving and receiving of gifts isn't so important.
10-24-2016 08:07 AM - edited 10-24-2016 08:08 AM
Well, I'm a baker and I tend to bake a lot and give cookies and such as gifts (and please don't start the "OMG, I wouldn't eat it!!!" stuff that we deal with every year). People have started to call me and ask, "Hey, are you baking......?" whatever their favorite kind of cookie is. A GF's husband asked her to ask me if I was making lemon loaves this year and, of course, I am. He just loves those lemon loaves (it's Ina's recipe).
In fact, one of my GFs and her DH came over for dinner on the weekend and they had a small gift basket for me. A bag of King Arthur flour, a bag of sugar, some cookie sprinkles, a small bottle of vanilla and some really cute cookie cutters for rolled cookies. I thought that was so nice of them. They said, I'm always baking cookies for everybody and they wanted me to know how much they appreciate their basket of goodies. I couldn't believe they did that!
So I'm working on my list of cookies to bake and my list of ingredients. I also make almond brittle, lemon loaves, and spiced nuts.
As far as gifts, I won't start shopping until Good Friday. Usually on Thanksgiving, our DIL gives us a list of "wishes" from our grands and we go by that. I do a lot of shopping online and have orders sent to my work place. DH and I will go out on Black Friday to join the madhouse....we always have a great time. Our first stop is usually PetSmart.....cat people always hit PetSmart first because of the great buys on litter and food. We are always amazed at how long the line is to get into the store!
So yes, I am working on Christmas stuff. We'll start shopping in earnest on Black Friday, I'll start baking Thanksgiving weekend, and we start decorating with the trees on Thanksgiving weekend. I love the holidays!
10-24-2016 10:54 AM
I'm living in Holiday Nightmareville.
Halloween is half up and I am surrounded by boxes with the rest of the decor waiting to go up. Usually it's up th10/1 but things happen and here I am.
Holiday shopping for Xmas is a mess because the kids keep changing their list as new stuff hits the market. I feel like I'm slowly going under, lol.
It'll work out, in the end.
How did my parents do it?!
10-24-2016 11:13 AM
I have a couple of minor gifts that I had to order from a Scentsy rep because she was putting her last order in before the holidays.
Other than that, I haven't even started and won't until after Thanksgiving.
10-24-2016 11:18 AM
Is it December 24 already?!?! LOL
10-24-2016 11:54 AM
Am I the only one who learned it is best to NOT shop and finish early? I once started very early and was done with my shopping a month early. I ended up buying more gifts - not good for my budget!
10-24-2016 12:21 PM
I only need to buy two more gifts. Both people are getting Herend pieces from Scully & Scully. Then that is it! Of course, nothing is wrapped yet. I haven't even wrapped up the Thanksgiving gifts I send to people across the country.
10-24-2016 02:53 PM
@ID2 wrote:I only buy for Christmas when I get a list. I'm definitely not the type to shop for junk all year long, wrap it up as a "thoughtful" gift when I found it on a clearance rack. Nope, its not me to do that. I'm starting to get lists from my family and I've been shopping for those items.
Just because it is on clearance or bought in June doesn't automatically make in junk. If you know the people you are buying for well, and you want to give gifts tailored specifically for them, it doesn't always happen or isn't always available during the traditional season.
What season a gift is purchased in has no bearing on the thoughtfulness behind it.
10-24-2016 03:01 PM
@gidgetgh wrote:
@Moonchilde wrote:
@gidgetgh wrote:
@ID2 wrote:I only buy for Christmas when I get a list. I'm definitely not the type to shop for junk all year long, wrap it up as a "thoughtful" gift when I found it on a clearance rack. Nope, its not me to do that. I'm starting to get lists from my family and I've been shopping for those items.
@ID2- I start my shopping early every year and the only lists I shop from are from my niece and two nephews. And I assure you.... I certainly don't shop for "junk" all year long, wrap it as a "thoughtful" gift that I found on a clearance rack. I speak only for myself of course, but I give a great deal of thought when purchasing a gift for someone and my gifts are very well received. I don't think WHEN you purchase a gift has any bearing at all as to the quality of the gift. I always shake my head in confusion when people think that those of us who shop early give junk.
Honestly, pay no mind, @gidgetgh. This poster flits hither and yon into various threads to provoke reactions and nothing more. It doesn't matter what the topic is, the posts are just to provoke.
@Moonchilde- thanks. "All" I wanted to do was start a fun thread on holiday shopping. My husband has been asleep in his recliner for two hours and I'm bored, LOL, and I thought it would be fun to see how everyone was doing with holiday preparations. I'm a little blue today and more sensitive than I should be. Thanks for posting.
Just a hint, but posting holiday things in Community Chat is often just asking to be beat up. The bullies can't wait to tear in.
Posting things like this over in Holiday will usually bring much more support, enthusiasm and positive participation. We love Christmas and everything associated with it, all year long!
10-24-2016 06:42 PM
@gidgetgh Many time s throughout the year I'll see something that I know would be a great Christmas gift and I buy it, nothing to do with being on sale or cheap. In August I bought a friend of mine a set of hand blown angels that are gorgeous, I happened to be looking at a catalog and saw them. Another gift for my two year old nephew is a leap frog tablet that I bought in September at a good price. I'm not in the habit of ever buying junk! The above two gifts are already wrapped.
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