Hmm, good point about the smellies. I just thought it would be nice to show her that I remember something that she likes. I know she likes the smell of gardenias, but artificial smells are not the same as the real thing.
Many of my friends - the ones I know well enough to know their tastes - get books.
The ones that I want to give something to but don’t know what to buy get a solid silver Christmas ornament.
Mom gets much more than that, but it isn’t important to go into detail.
Litoris, where do you get those liquors?
I think Litoris should make a goody-book full of recipes she has tried and liked (hint*hint)
I sent my son a Visa gift card - he’s staying with my mom up North.
I’m giving my middle-child the same thing… she LOVEs to hit the after xmas sales (afterall, shopping is her favorite sport)
My youngest, well, I havent decided yet. She’s a tomboy so clothing is out of the question. I was hoping she would start to come out of it when she started highschool 
Maybe an xbox or a wii… I just wish she would get interested in reading.
My nephew - havent decided but I better think of something soon!
my mom - well, maybe a copy of Mommy, Dearest ? Maybe a gift certificate for psycho-therapy and a huge bottle of Prozac 
My roomie… who’s also my bmf. a xmas stocking full of chocolate candies he likes. and a xmas ornament now that he has a tree of his very own (I wasnt going to let him pull his bah-humbug around me!)
My bf - well, I cant say because he’s a doper. (but suggestions would be most welcome!)
his kids - I was thinkin of an anniversary copy of The Dark Crystal for the 8 yr old girl and Transformers for the 12yr old boy. A gift certificate for his 19yr old boy who’s a booknut like his dad 
Now, I have a tradition that I started way back with my kids… Each one gets a xmas ornament every year. Then, when they are grown and on their own and have their own tree, they will have some ornaments to put on it. unfortunately with the number of moves we have made, we lost a bulk of them so had to start over
My mom did that with my brother and me, too. Each one has our name and the year engraved. It’s funny to see what I was into each year - skiing, ice skating, French horn, and penguins (I’m still a Bloom County fanatic)!
As for gifts, Mom’s getting a “Mighty Wind” DVD and a Kingston Trio CD. Dad’s getting a Johnny Cash CD and a set of Tri-ominos. My brother is getting a MAD magazine book of Star Wars spoofs, and SIL is getting a lego kit for a knick-knack for her desk. Niece is getting a purse and a Stila lipstick with her name, and Nephew is getting an ocarina - ceramic, and it’s half flute, half whistle. It’s round, with a cord to wear around your neck. I got it at the Renaissance Faire this past fall. DH is getting the first season of “Dexter” DVDs and a Starbucks gift card.
Friends are getting various books - one who is learning golf is getting a “keep track of your progress” journal, three are getting Jim Webb’s “Born Fighting” about the Scots-Irish in America, and one is getting a Charles Schultz biography. Other female friends are getting scented soaps from the Ren Faire, and one shopping buddy is getting a Sephora gift card on the condition that she lets me tag along on the shopping spree!
At the local liquor store – just browse through the area where they put the Schnapps. Hiram’s makes the ginger liquer – which is most excellent, and the honey is Barenjaeger (sp?), also quite delish.
Pixilated – funny thing, I have been asked to make a cookbook more than once. I really have thought about it. You know how that freak Rachel Ray does those white-trash, high-fat, heart-attack inducing “30 minute meals”? Yeh, mine are all low-cal, low-fat but take 30 minutes or less to make and are made with stuff the “normal” person keeps in the cabinet – no white truffle syrup in my recipes! And bf’s always like the love coupons if you’re on a tight budget My husband has hinted more than once that he’d like one (or 12!).
Unimaginative I know, but.
Children A & B. Games for their respective Wii and xbox 360 systems.
Child C. Books-a-Million gift card. Or maybe Amazon so the money will stretch further.
gf. A Doper so not tellin, but she already told me what she wanted, she just doesn’t know it yet.
gf offspring A. A gift card of some sort, not sure of her preferences.
gf offspring B&C. Haven’t met them so not sure if anything is appropriate.
bro. Like me, doesn’t need anything so Swiss Colony meat & cheese package.
nieces. Adult /w kids of their own. Also gift cards.
Litoris, you’re the best. Provided that I can get someone to go out and buy the liquor for me,* I’m totally making these for my boyfriend’s family and for some friends of mine, and possibly for the neighbors.
*I’m less than three months shy of 21. It’s very frustrating, because I love to cook and so many good recipes have wine and other alcoholic stuff in it, and I have to make one of my roommates go shopping for me.
Hahaha, no problem, doll. Email me if you need anything. Well, aside from the alcohol – I’d do it if you were around here, always one to help an aspiring cooking artist, but VA is a bit far to travel. Good luck with them – make a dry/practice run with the truffles this week. No liquor, just vanilla & see how to handle the chocolate right. Get a feel for it, it’s easy, but it helps to not be stressed about the recipe. Also, bear in mind I eyeball recipes (in other words, I make them up as I go along) so the measurements are approximates – you may want to only use half the liquor at first and adjust for taste. One year, my truffles never set up – I’d used too much liquer – so we had a lovely chocolate bourbon sauce to go over ice cream!
On a more back-to-my-OP note – my ThinkGeek package came in today, and I am giddy about how much I will enjoy giving those gifts!