We do most of our gift exchanging on Christmas Eve, but I try to save something for her to open on Christmas Day.
Last night, she got to unwrap a puzzle game called Katamino that she was absolutely obsessed with when we saw it in a store a few weeks ago. I don’t have the mentality for it, but she does, and I was really pleased that she immediately started inflicting it on other people at our family gathering!
I also got her this candy crane game because she loves fun, weird stuff. I’m not usually very good at finding things like that, but this one seems to be a hit. She’s excited about taking it to work and torturing herself and coworkers by having to earn candy consumption.
And last, there’s the gift she’ll get to open this morning. I can post it safely because she’s still asleep, and the gift is sitting on her computer chair, so she’ll see it before she logs onto the Dope! She’s a damn fine amateur photographer (I don’t even know if “amateur” is appropriate since now some friends are paying her for her work), and she recently bought herself a Digital SLR that she’s been drooling over for some time. She’s wanted a 50mm lens for it, but hasn’t gotten around to buying one, but she has it now!
I got her a ‘dilbert’ calendar for her desk, Godiva chocolates, and an IOU for a new PC of her choosing on Wednesday. She knows we have to do the after-Christmas sales to make the money we have go farther.
I got my husband a couple of wiimotes and nunchucks and two chargers for them, a Cooper’s home microbrew kit, some Lush products, and a book about strange MacGuyver tricks to deal with babies (like how to change a diaper at a tailgate, which will come in handy for us during college football season). He was very pleased.
I got her a copy of the board game Ticket to Ride, a stuffed tachikoma (from Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex) and, if I can remember where I put it, a gift card to REI.
She got me an XO-1 laptop from the One Laptop Per Child “give one get one” program. Yeah, I’m not a child, but it’s basically still being beta tested and it’s a good take-everywhere laptop that’ll help me work on my programming skills. Plus it’s the world’s CUTEST lil’ thing!
Our big gift to each other was a new digital camera - a Nikon D40 with two lenses. Love it!
Plus I got him his own cell phone on a pay-as-you-go plan, which I think will work well for him and he got me an iPod, I think because he knows I like gagdets and that was one I didn’t already have. I’m thinking I’ll get one of those boombox things for it since I’m not really up for wearing ear buds or headphones.
My DH received a video of Annie, a laptop (used, but suitable for his needs), and the grand finale- a little piece of local history. His “hometown” decided to get rid of the parking meters around the square, so hubs woke up to a meter head under the tree. Now I just need to get a post and stick it out in the yard.
I got him this radio-controlled airplane. He’s always wanted one, and proclaimed it “the best Christmas present ever.” Which made me really happy because he’s hard to buy for.
He got me pearl earrings, a nice jewelry box, and a digital photo frame, as well as some smaller stuff. He took the photo frame to a friend who is a professional photographer. He has shot hundreds of candid photos of our family over the years, and they loaded them all in there. VERY cool.
I got my SO 2 xmas ornaments - one celebrating our first xmas together, another was a Santa-Chef (he likes to cook).
A set of Guinness jammies, and a big handheld battery operated thingamaboppper (screwdriver & flashlight set?). I never was good at the tool thing once beyond the basic hammer, wrench, screwdriver - ya know, the non-electrical ones. =P
I had absolutely no idea what to get him… but I think I did ok (besides, we can share the jammies - he gets the bottoms!)
Now… if you want to know what he got me, you’ll have to wait for his post (but I can tell you it is THE best thing ever!)
I found what may have been the ONLY copy of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana in the westernized world. Problem: it was in Australia, and the company doesn’t ship to the US. Solution: I tapped an old friend from AmberMUSH (a text based online RPG) who I hadn’t talked to in at least 3 years. He agreed to act as a maildrop for me. In exchange, to pay for the postage, I bought him something off his Amazon wishlist that he had been wanting, and had it shipped to him. It worked out BEAUTIFULLY. Very, very beautifully.
I got daHubby his usual clothing request, but the thing he liked the best was the shirt I got him from Drysdales (a Western clothing store)—it’s a shirt that looks like it says “State Championship” but really says “Stall Cleaning Champion, 1975.” When he opened the package up he almost fell over laughing.
We got one fairly nice gift for both of us, but which mainly I will use - a Canon digital camera (a couple of weeks ago). I got her a Sansa mp3 player, so now she can listen to audiobooks on the go. Later, after I’ve researched brands and opinions enough, I’ll get her an FM transmitter for the player, so she can listen in the car.
Today, she gave me the pouch for the camera that goes on my belt, and I gave her a good stainless-steel saucepan. All of our others are nonstick, and she’s been saying how much she wanted one of the other kind.
I know that none of these gifts are too romantic, but neither of us minded. We’re getting to that place where we don’t need too much, and we’re not into nick-knacks and things that’ll get stuffed in a drawer. We’re both happy!
I got her leather gloves, a jewelry box, a mattress warmer, two pairs of cheap earrings, some ice wine, a new pair of swim goggles, some Bliss beauty products, and a new car charger for her cell phone.
She gave me a new leather coat, a leather bound notebook, a “Family Guy” monopoly set, some books including the Onion atlas, some video games (including Q Bert, how cool is that?) and a photo keychain.
I gave Stonebow a couple of novelty T-shirts, and new utility knife in a self-sharpening case (the last piece he was missing for a set in all sizes), and a stocking full of his favorite candies. We had told each other we were going to go light on our personal gift swap, and just buy something nice for the house. I stuck to the plan, but he didn’t and consequently, I feel like a dud because he really did a good job on my gifts: A ‘HoneyBear’ shirt from Diamond Bear Brewery, some pomegranate lip balm and lotion, my favorite candies, a new small tool box and accessories for my lampworking hobby (mandrels, paddles, tweezers/pullers, mosaic pieces, and a shaper).
I got him some special hot chili sauces (and some chili jelly beans) and a Roland Cube 15x practice amp for his guitar (his regular amp is a Mesa Boogie and just too loud to practice with).
He got me “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins and has promised to upgrade my PC in any way I want.
I’m thinking I’ll get one of those boombox things for it since I’m not really up for wearing ear buds or headphones.