This year and I am not going to wait last minute, purchasing Christmas gifts for three kids, including 2 tween girls, can’t wait!
So far I have gotten them each a really awesome bed set. I have a price list according to store and a game plan. But I am still stressed about it, things are tight this year!
So what about you, any gifts bought, any ideas? How goes your Holiday shopping this year?
I do not like Xmas. I buy gifts for people all the time; when I see something that I think someone would just love, I buy it and give it to them. But Xmas adds pressure.
I got my daughter a laptop, but I have no idea what I’ll get my son or gf.
I have already heard Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer on the radio.
AAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!
We started making a list about three weeks ago, although we haven’t bought anything yet. Of course, we’ve SWORN that this year, we’re going to start early! :rolleyes:
Still, we have a little more money this year to start shopping early, so maybe we’ll actually get motivated for once. And I can get an early start on my very “special” wrapping that everyone immediately recognizes as mine – even the kids in the family:
“OK, who’s this one fr-- …oh. Uh, thanks Uncle Asimovian!”
Frankly, I don’t see what’s wrong with soft, loose corners, wrapping paper that was torn in a clear effort made by someone out of his league, and excessive use of Scotch tape. Everyone needs a signature, right? 
Our shopping is pretty simple. There are no little kids in the family, and we’re scattered around the country. We only have 5 people to gift, so last year we started just sending everyone a check. We are fortunate to be able to send the same amount to all. I will start thinking about what to get for my husband, though. For the past 5-6 years, every gift I’ve purchased has been either from ebay or amazon. I’m sure I’ll go that route again this year–it’ll be pretty hard, though, since neither he nor I need anything!
I always plan to start early, but I never manage to actually do it. Presents for my family must fit in a suitcase, with a weeks worth of clothes, too, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.
I’m getting my husband this Portal t-shirt, but it’s the only one I’ve decided on so far.
My girlfriend is getting a present and that’s it. The anti-Christmas backlash in my family and amongst some of my friends has been gathering steam in recent years and this might be the year where we just quit on the present thing.
I’m looking forward to a very stress-free holiday.
I need to start thinking about it, that’s for sure.
The kids always get pajamas, stockings, one “good” gift from Santa, and one lesser gift from me. I like to give them books, too, but this looks like a year when socks and undies are needed more.
As for my husband, well, I’ve never given him a gift yet he didn’t return or at least want to very obviously. He’s been talking about xeriscaping the yard, so maybe something to do with that. Whatever.
The grandmas always get framed professional photos of the grandchildren. Probably not their heart’s fondest wish, but that’s Christmas for ya.
Sometimes the adults in our family try to come up with sensible plans like limiting the amount spent on gifts, or drawing names, but always there is someone who doesn’t follow the rules or gets their feelings hurt, so we still have to buy for everyone. I regift as much as possible. I also do some token gifts at work.
After all that, I’m running low on Christmas spirit, so I buy lots of candy for the staff at my local library and sneak it on to the returns desk. I put a card with it, but don’t sign our names.
::puts fingers in ears:::lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala…I can’t hear you over all that racket.
Good grief…I don’t even want to think about it yet. It seems our gift list grows every year and it should be shrinking, by gum! The kids always get one “big gift”, then a couple few other things like books, CDs, some clothes, etc. However, this year, there really aren’t any “big” gifts to buy for them. They’ve got most everything. So, I think it’ll be clothes, CDs, gift cards, things like that for them.
The family and friends though…ugh. I have no idea. My mother is impossible to buy for and almost always returns the stuff I get her. It’s too itchy, it’s too this, it’s too that. Last year, we saved ourselves some hassles and got my mother, his mother, and my dad and stepmother gift cards to one of our new favorite, cool restaurants. They all loved it.
My two sisters and brothers-in-law present a challenge as well. I’ll have to figure something out. I think for the nephew we’ll get a gift card to one of his favorite stores. He’s sixteen, I don’t know what else to do.
There are other people to get gifts for as well. I really don’t know how we’re going to do it. Money is definitely getting tight again. I wish we could just draw names, but that doesn’t go over well with the family.:rolleyes:
I get my Christmas shopping done every year before Thanksgiving. I Christmas shop all year round. My tree and decorations go up around December 1st. (I figure if I’m going to go to all of that trouble I might as well have a month or so to enjoy the work.) I send my Christmas cards the week after if not before.
Then I sit back, drink my Christmas vodka martinis, and laugh at everybody else running around like madmen. I mean it, I laugh. And deride. And taunt. And enjoy being REALLY annoying.
What’s Christmas for if you can’t be obnoxious and haughty? 
I’ve already FINISHED shopping for my twins, who turn 5 in February. Santa hasn’t bought them anything yet, as their list of desires keeps evolving.
For her, a Tupperware kid-sized pitcher and cup set & a mini-cake server w/little plates. She absolutely LOVES to play “tea party”. And makeup, I bought a whole bunch of sample-sized products (lip gloss, eye shadow, nail polish) from a good cosmetics company online (ran it through EWG’s “Skin Deep” database first). Plus new princess pajamas and swimsuit for next summer.
For him, two Brio Mec sets (one cost me a fortune on eBay, the other was cheap at a thrift store) and a mini-Foosball table I found at Goodwill for $10! Plus new Batman pajamas and swimsuit for next summer.
Oh, and I found a Rubiks cube for each of them and some used videos at the thrift store. And bought a couple of tie-dyed “play silks” from a friend.
My sister, the professional musician, recently bought herself a new keyboard. So guess who’s inheriting the old one in a couple of months? That will be SO cool, I really wanted the kids to grow up w/a piano.
I’ve started making lists of stuff I’ll get. For my son I’ll probably get a set of train sheets for his bed and a toy schoolbus. Unless, of course, he’s still into pirates then. In that case, I’ll get him a toy ship.
Everyone else in my family is always a mystery - we were all brought up with the idea that it wasn’t polite to admit to wanting a gift (which I suppose it really isn’t, but it’d make things much more straightforward), so every time I ask people what they want, they shyly say, “Oh, you don’t have to get me anything.” That’s why I have to start plotting early.
My Mom and stepdad are getting a Wii from me and my sister. Sis got it today. **LabRat’s **gift is likewise taken care of. I’ll get my Dad and stepmom a little something, and then do a few stocking stuffers and that’s it.
I enjoy Christmas a lot, and always have, but lately I just cannot get into all the gift buying.
I had been buying Christmas gifts with my own money since I was 10 or 11. I used to get gifts for everyone. I have 10 nieces and nephews, 5 siblings, etc.
I did that for over 20 years then finally just gave it up. I hardly buy any gifts anymore. (I am almost 44 BTW)
I have a five year old son now, and even he just gets 2 or 3 gifts from us. He got one gift from us on his birthday a week ago. But trust me the kid has plenty. All those aunts, uncles and cousins I have been buying for, for years have been coughing up a lot of gifts for him. I guess it is payback time.
yea i know I usually take a day and shop online
It’s a lean year for me, so I’m just buying for my immediate family and the kids in the extended family. (Luckily, it’s a pretty small extended family.)
Most of the kids are old enough to appreciate the freedom that comes with a gift card, but young enough not to be insulted by a small gift card, so that’s easy. The little ones will get books I loved when I was their ages.
I like to spin yarn, but I don’t knit. Mom does knit, so she’ll be getting a year’s worth of my output. Her husband gets a subscription to a handyman magazine he expressed interest in. My brother will be happy with any number of Topatoco t-shirts; I’ll pick two, probably. Dad and his wife…I dunno. They’re always opaque in their desires, but this family has never had any shame about sharing wish lists for that very reason.
If I’m lucky, I can get out of this holiday for less than $200, plus ingredients for special recipe requests. Fingers crossed!
My two girls actually asked for undies and sock this year. :eek:
Do you offer classes?
I think that this is the coolest thing for some reason.
I have bought most of my gifts. I’m having trouble figuring out what to get my mom. I have one thing for her, but I like to get several.
Thanks! It’s a pretty selfish gift, because it gives me an excuse to indulge in my own hobby. But I think she’ll like it – she’s always on me to spin something up for her.
I too usually shop all year 'round. It started when I was poor enough to have to buy one present every pay check. That way I wasn’t in big debt after Christmas. It just became a habit. I don’t put up a tree though.