13 replies to this topic

[lynn]

We need a new survey, here. What kind of gift giver are you?

[lynn]

I'm the "what the fuck" person. Too much pressure, but I think too much about it, I guess. But, what do you get for people? Clothes? People have their own tastes. Jewelry or cologne? Same thing. Special interests? Most people are probably pretty specific about what they want and probably buy it for themselves anyway. Do we go overboard with this shit? I want to find gifts that someone really will appreciate and not just leave it in some drawer after the new year. Gift cards are handy and nice, but impersonal. I've suggested, before, that we each take the same amount of money that we spend on each other and either (a) give it to charity or ( spend it on our own selves and what we would reallly want. That didn't go over well. Bottom line is, I guess, we each still want wrapped presents for our own selves under that tree!

[Hula]

I agree I think most people want to open a gift even if it is just a token. I have run the full circle. I used to start early and most of the time always find something special for the person I was shopping for. that always was satisfying. I shopped early but found if I finished too soon I ended up over spending or completely indulging my kid because I still had tons of shopping days left. that was in the days of lighted holiday decorations, family dinners and kids that believed in santa. even when I used to decorate two, three weeks of looking at that stuff was plenty and it came down on the 26 or 27th. the family is way spread out and no small children anymore. I used to mail packages but don't do that anymore. I send out christmas cards but that's about it. christmas fun for me is watching little kids tear through their presents. if I had tons of money. I would revert back to shopping early and everyone would get something fun. happy hectic holidays

[Hula]

now where did I put my pepper spray

[wedjat]

I only buy gifts for my parents & my best friend now, and not that many either. I simply don't have the money to buy every person in my family gifts, it's ridiculous. And I hate it when we get to my parents for christmas & my sister or sister-in-law gives me a present because naturally, I don't have one for them. I have 7 nieces & nephews so last year I threw them a bone & bought all of them a couple scratch off lottery tickets, even the 8 & 10 year old, haha. They all loved them & it only cost me $2 a ticket. Cheap gift. My friend just told me that he was going to give money to some organization in my name, I forget what it is, something like buying a family in Africa water for a month or something to that effect. He decided he couldn't do it because it was too much money but just the idea that he knows me so well & to give money to something like that or an environmental organization meant a lot to me.

[wedjat]

I thought of another survey we can do. Your favorite tv dad, the one you wished was yours. This does not of course mean we don't love our fathers. In fact, I think my dad is the most awesome of all dads. This is just pretend. My #1 pick is Charles Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie. Everything about him was great. Honorable mentions: Steven Keaton, Family Ties. Michael Brady, The Brady Bunch. Jason Seaver, Growing Pains. Cliff Huxtable, The Cosby Show.

[TAP]

Jack Bauer

[wedjat]

Oh wait, I didn't realize this survey had it's own thread. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude on your survey thread. TAP, I've never watched that show.

[lynn]

When we were younger and had a lot of people in our extended family to buy for I had my shopping all done before Halloween because I worked in a business where I had to work very long hours in between Halloween and Christmas---I worked in a flower shop and was in charge of decorating rich people's homes for the holidays, inside and out. Now, we don't buy gifts for anyone and instead give money to ten different charities.

One of the most meaningful Christmas's we had came in a year when everyone in the extended family was struggling to get the Christmas spirit for one reason or another---a death, divorce, and job lost. Some didn't want to exchange gifts at all because money was tight. So we drew names for a gift exchange but we made a rule that each gift given had to be free or under $2.00. It really brought out the creativity in people and made you think about what Christmas giving was all about. Several people wrote poems or letters for their under $2.00 gift. Sewers made things like a light weight nylon wallet for jogger or a scarf out of scraps. Some gave up articles they already owned that they knew someone else really admired. A couple people baked something. It was fun to see what all people came up with with such a limited amount of money to spend. Out of my 70 some Christmas's that's the only Christmas were I can remember what everyone got and gave.

Love that! That kind of brings it all into perspective! I just feel so jaded, sometimes, about gift giving and Christmas - I can't help it. You know, sometimes some of the most memorable gifts might be those that were handmade or were bought at a garage sale - just because someone saw it and thought of you. My sister still talks about the gift she received from me, one year, when I had little money. I think I bought a coffee/tea cup at a garage sale, some secondhand paperback mystery books bought at a secondhand shop, and then added some inexpensive tea. You remember those things - not the $50.00 sweater. I still have an antique hard cover music book someone bought for me, from a garage sale/estate sale - saw it and thought of me - probably spent $2.00. When my son was little, we used to make handmade ornaments and then, one year, we put together a calender for each set of grandparents. I copied off calendar pages, and then - for each month - he painted an appropriate picture to go with it. We used poster board and tied it all together. The grandparents loved it - each month there was a hand painted picture from a grand kid. Those are the things that mean the most.

I can't stand all this overboard shopping, buying shit. I've cut my whole list down to my son and his partner. That's it. And I don't even know what to get them! Although I still have to come up with a small gift for the nurse's aides on my floor. 5 to 10 dollars each, and split with the other nurse I work with. Gifts and extra tips for the mail lady, garbage pick up people, hair stylist, etc.....uh, no.....

[lynn]

I thought of another survey we can do. Your favorite tv dad, the one you wished was yours. This does not of course mean we don't love our fathers. In fact, I think my dad is the most awesome of all dads. This is just pretend. My #1 pick is Charles Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie. Everything about him was great. Honorable mentions: Steven Keaton, Family Ties. Michael Brady, The Brady Bunch. Jason Seaver, Growing Pains. Cliff Huxtable, The Cosby Show.

That's a great idea! We need new and fun surveys. You can do it. Go to the survey section and click on post new topic. Run with it. You can do this.

[Abaddon]

I buy gifts for my parents, my brother and my wife - that's it. I'm pretty good, I think, but could be better. When I put my mind to it, I generally get pretty awesome presents. But half the time, I can't be arsed to put my mind to it and end up improvising on Christmas Eve.

[*D*]

Bought my 10 year old niece a 160 dollar pair of Uggs.

I'd say Im pretty awesome

[VOR]

I'm a generous person and actually enjoy making people happy. Having no children of my own, I've decided to find an orphanage next year and see if the administration will let me come on Christmas day to give toys to the children.

That being said, I've also decided to retain a Christmas gift I bought for my brother-in-law because he couldn't be bothered to tear himself away from his virtual computer life to stop by my house and pick up his present. At first I was going to open it and keep the stuff for myself - an Iron Maiden Number of the Beast t-shirt, a Slayer t-shirt, and a KISS Destoyer t-shirt for his dog. I've decided to be nice and give him another chance next year. But that's the limit. If he's a no-show, the loot is mine. I might give the Slayer t-shirt to an orphan because they suck.