When Ivyboy was over in England for a month with Grandma and staying with his aunt and uncle, he fell in love with this TV show. He and his aunt watched it every day.
So, for Christmas, Ivyboy is getting seasons one and two of…Columbo
Ivylad is a December baby, so I have to get both a birthday and a Christmas present for him next month. He jumped the gun on me, so when we were shopping at Target I had to buy the attachment to his KitchenAid mixer so he wouldn’t buy it himself. He got the shredder/slicer and I got the meat grinder, but he doesn’t get that until his birthday.
Ivygirl tried a yoga class at school recently and liked it so much I’m going to buy her some classes at a nearby yoga studio.
We still have various nieces and nephews to buy for.
I’ve bought several copies of Gilead (recent favourite novel) to distribute to my Mum and some friends, the Lynn Flewelling Hidden Warrior trilogy for my MIL, and the first season of Battlestar Galactica for Mr. Lissar.
Next week I’m going to do lots of baking for my BIL and SIL. They’ve got a six month baby, and I thought food (cinnamon buns, loaves of bread, focaccia etc.) would be a nice present. I’m going to get the new Sandra Boynton book for the nephew.
I feel all prepared by having my shopping half done already. Well, maybe a third.
Mine is mostly done. It is down to a few odds and ends that I get for Mom and others. I will get Mom some wine yet. My friend’s Mom will get lottery tickets. Maybe some wine for a few others.
Mom got: A GPS system so she can drive without being afraid of getting lost. A robo-vacuum. 100 dollars in lottery tickets. And a silver christmas ornament.
Some friends got books. Many of my friends and co workers got a silver Christmas ornament shown here
I just started and have purchased most of the toys my daughter wanted for Christmas along with the flat screen tv she has been asking for. My son has asked for an electronic drum set which turns out to be quite pricey and I need to research the quality of the lower end models before I consider honoring his request.
I usually buy my father the latest “gadget” and have yet to see something that intrigues me (such as the gps system a couple of years back). I will keep reading this thread for ideas!
I’ve gotten a good deal of shopping done online for more distant relatives. I’ve found some good deals, too. So I’m able to look a little less cheap this year. Dad, my sister and several cousins are done. But of course, it’s not over till it’s over and worrying over one last gift is just as bad as worrying over a bunch of last gifts. So I had better get this finished before too long.
I have no idea what to get anyone. I know for part of my mom’s present, I am taking a family portrait of us and framing one for the office and one for home. We weren’t the type of family to go get professional portraits done so she doesn’t have many photos of the four of us together. I figure I’ll put my Nikon d50, remote and tripod to good use over Thanksgiving. I wanted to buy her a new digital camera (hers is old and way slow) but I don’t think I can afford it, even if I go in with my brother, because I don’t want to get her a huge or crappy one. I sell cameras but my discount itsn’t that great.
I’ll probably end up buying my dad clothes. I usually buy him Rams or Cardinals stuff. Maybe a new hat. My brother ususally asks for a fitted Cardinals hat. I’ll find something cute and tacky for my grandma. Stuff for my uncle’s bar for him. Usually jewerly for my aunt. I go in with my mom for my 2 cousins on her side because they love video games and they are expensive. My dad’s side is huge and the adults do Rob Your Neighbor. Last year I bought Mikasa wine glasses for that. My friends and I are too broke to buy each other stuff, we might do Secret Santa though.
But I don’t have enough money to start buying presents. But my paychecks are getting bigger and bigger because I work retail and they’ve been overworking us lately. I’ll probably have to wait until a couple weeks before Christmas to do my shopping.
Have I started Christmas shopping? What do you think? It ain’t Christmas Eve yet! Actually I’m waiting on my “extra” paycheck (we get paid every other week) in the middle of December. Then I’ll get it all done one weekend.
I’ve got my mom’s gift figured out - it will be a package from TastesofChicago.com. There’s a catalog link on the site.
For my son, one thing I’m getting him is some Viper t-shirts - someone I work with is in the Viper Club and is getting some custom shirts for him. I’m just waiting for those to come in. I’m sure he wants money too, so that’s what he’ll get. And maybe guitar hero 2. We’ll see.
For my husband, I have to find beer mugs - 12 oz - that aren’t too tall to fit in the microwave (he uses 'em for coffee too). Probably some shirts and jeans. Maybe a flannel or something.
For my doglet, I haven’t decided yet. I’ll be hitting Petco for ideas.
For the neices/nephews - Terget gift cards. That’s all they want.
I’ve sewed several stuffed elephants for nieces and nephews, am almost done with the package to be sent overseas, and have bought most of the presents for our kids (some stocking stuffers and a large box of TinkerToys).
I still have to buy some books for the remaining nieces and nephews, and something for a few adults, but I’m more than half done, I guess. Not too bad.
We’re doing something similar with my MIL, except we’re getting the portrait done on an afghan. We saw a kit at one of the Hallmark stores where they’ll take a photo and knit/embroider/fairy dust it into a big old afghan. We thought it was a nice twist on the normal hand-on-the-wall portrait.
I have bought an umbrella and matching purse from the Mary Englebright store (she loves that stuff).
I have all my knitted Christmas presents in progress (afghan for my mom, lace scarf for my sister, & hat/scarf set for my dad).
I am planning to buy BIL’s present this week, he’s getting Battlestar Galactica.
I also have my dad’s b-day present (12/30) planned, though not bought yet. I took a bunch of really nice pictures of his gardens this spring and summer. I’m going to get some of them framed.
I’m about done for everyone except my husband. I tend to pick things up (yes, and pay for them) throughout the year at craft festivals or interesting little stores when I can find them, so my mom has a Turkish scarf from the new import store, my sister has a silver & rose quartz necklace, by wine & DVD buddy has two wine goblet she admired at a craft show, my Dad has a Borders gift certificate (there’s nothing he loves more, according to my mom. They are on a fixed income and he loves having the money to spend on books. Per mom, he’ll spend days browsing before making a purchase). I usually get movie or food gift packs for my other siblings and their families, as none of us are very close either emotionally or geographically.
Not having kids or nearby family (both deliberate) my husband & I don’t really do Xmas, except in the lock-the-door, pour-the-drinks, turn-off-the-phones way, but we are getting some home decor for the new house and we always get each other a few stocking suffers, a box of really good chocolates, and a bottle of each other’s favorite whiskey.
Damn, when’s Christmas again? I need a scotch & truffle.
I might have to put my current project on hold and whip out some knitted mosaic potholders for some fellow knitters at work. They’re quick and they look so cool!
Nothing yet, but I’m starting to give it some serious thought just about now. This is going to be the year when I take my husband’s advice and do as much shopping as possible online. He’s already helping me look for gadgets for the kids on Ebay.
Start?? Mrs Duckster never stops! She is always looking for gifts all year. She set a new record this past year when she found quite a few gifts for this Christmas the day after last Christmas!
We were mostly finished with our holiday shopping in late July. Gifts for all of our family in Denmark were brought with us when we went there in early August to celebrate Spiny Norman’s birthday. Before we came home, they were wrapped, labeled and put away for safe keeping so they’re all ready to be placed under the tree on Christmas. We only have a few small gifts still to send, which are mostly purchased and just waiting to be boxed up and mailed, and we’ve now ordered most of the gifts for my side of the family, as well. I think we only have 2 nephews (one on each side), some friends and each other to buy for. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and I’m already stressed out about the little we have left to buy. I can’t imagine how frazzled I’d be if we still had 20+ people to buy for.
We got all the sisters, mothers and grandmother, bottles of olive oil from the California Olive Ranch, and some delicious dry rub and award-winning mustards from one of the northern California vineyards that I cannot remember off hand. Some of the kids got books, the girls got bracelets we bought in Tijuana, Mexico, the little boys got remote controlled cars, the bossman got this really cool knife sharpener, since he just spent several hundred dollars on some new knives from Japan. My parents really love the Danish line, Rosendahl’s Grand Cru line of kitchenware. We’ve previously gotten them the water carafe, coffee mugs and votives, so this year they’re getting the bowls. We’re also having some trees planted in Israel in their names.
Thomas’s parents, particularly my father-in-law, is really into interesting strategy games; 2 of his favorites are Abalone and Quarto. They also really like lawn games, a favorite being the old Viking game, Kubb. Whenever they’re here, they love playing Jenga with us, but can’t get the wood sets on their side of the pond, so we were going to get one of those for his father, but check out these incredible “Extreme” Jenga Tower games! How cool are those? So we may do one of those instead.
Thomas’s mother’s birthday is the 27th, so we also buy her a birthday present, and this year’s gift is going to be the Canon PowerShot A540 digital camera, which will be from all the siblings.
My father’s been dropping major, non-subtle hints about wanting a sweatshirt from my college. I got that for him already. I still need to do the rest of my shopping, though.
I’d estimate I’m 1/2 through or so, but I won’t say what I’ve purchased because my sister posts here as well.
I’m actually pretty much a year round gift shopper. If I see something that I think someone will like, I buy it. I have a “present cupboard” with my stockpile of gifts for people. This may make me sound organized, when I’m really not. I do it because: it lowers stress at Christmas time, and I like to buy presents for people.
The hard part is actually stopping when it gets close to Christmas and I’m in an unstressed Christmas shopping mood.
I started in September.
I only buy for my two daughters (17 and 2) so it’s pretty quick and easy.
I got my youngest a Dora doll and two videos, some books and a noisy race car that she begs for every time we go to Family Dollar. Her birthday is the day after Christmas so I got her a shopping cart and a doll stroller for her Dora. I’ll probably pick up a few more things here and there.
My oldest gets video games and girly things and Japanese books. So far I picked up Sims 2 and the new pets expansion and two books from Amazon.
I’ll probably break down and get my sweetums a gift too because we always set the “No gift” rule from the start and we always break it before December hits.
Actually I’m waiting on my “extra” paycheck (we get paid every other week) in the middle of December. Then I’ll get it all done one weekend.