It's that time of year again, and Bill and I are mostly done with shopping. I'm one of those crazy people that shops for Christmas all year round. Mostly because I see things that would make a great gift for someone, but I can't think of a reason to give it to them. So it gets put in the closet until a birthday or Christmas comes along.
So here we are, with a few weeks left and only a few people left on the list. But I have no idea what to get for those people!
So what are some of the killer gifts you're giving this year?
When I have a bit of time, I'll come back and make a list of my own. Maybe we'll all get some ideas. Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
I decided to make fleece throws/blankets for all the family members (which I did over the long weekend). It was fairly easy, inexpensive, and quick. I also think it's something that everyone will actually use (I hope). I also ordered some books for several people. I often make treats for my friends here in town. I am quite happy that the majority of my gift shopping is already done.
[ December 02, 2003, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: ludosti ]
Posted by MaydayDesiax (Member # 5012) on :
I got Bernard a LotR checkers set. (and I can say this because he's already got it) It's got little miniautres of the One Ring as pieces!
All my other friends are getting glass Christmas tree ornaments (thank you Mom, for buying them for me). I have yet to buy something for my parents and little brother.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
If I give you gift ideas you have to tell me something cheap Bill wants (I know exactly what cheap thing I'm getting you! )
I'm never much fun to shop for, normally I send my family a Christmas list (as they request) and it has very specific items (as in specific CDs and computer books and other mostly boring things ).
As for other things... normally I can never figure out what to get people. For my Mom I think I'm going to get an electric thermometer (for cooking) but along with your gift, Celia, that's the only one I came up with.
Hobbes Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
My brothers and I have pooled our resources and are getting my dad the complete far side collection.
I'm giving my grandparents a painting of mine. They'll love it for no other reason than I did it.
ludosti, I love the fleece blanket idea. I might steal that. I don't particularly want to give presents to Utah people this year because history indicates they won't remember me, but nice girl/SOMETHING syndrome is winning out inside of me. Cheap, persoalized fleece blankets seems like a good compromise.
Posted by saxon75 (Member # 4589) on :
I'm giving out lots of Sakeriver merchandise to the fam this year. Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Ohh, forgot about that Kat! Yes, the complete Far Side is great, I think it's $94 on amazon.com. I'm asking for that as well as another expensive gift, Visual J++ (6.0 I think is the latest version). We'll see what happens...
Hobbes Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
celia, If those people you have left are not of your own household, check to see if they have an Amazon.com wish list. In order family, it is almost imperative that all of us create wish lists on Amazon -- to give others an idea of the stuff we want and like. That way, when we draw names at Christmas and my selection lives five states away and I have NO IDEA what they already own -- I can check their wish list.
FG
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
Celia, my husband got me the best early Christmas present ever -- a 42" Sony Grand Wega LCD TV and a home theater in a box. I highly recommend this as a Christmas present.
Seriously, though...I am going to make several fleece blankets too. Then I'm making up baskets of stuff for different people. My brother is a big golf fan, so he's getting a subscription to a golf magazine, some golf balls and tees, and some tokens for the driving range. His fiancee loves long baths, so I thought I'd put together a girly smell good basket of lotions and stuff. A friend of ours is a photographer, and he has a sale right before Christmas, so we always get pictures and have them framed inexpensively for various people. We got the coolest one of the Golden Gate bridge this time. I almost hate to give it as a gift. I cleaned my bookshelves this past weekend and found a *bunch* of books to give my mother in law for Christmas. She loves mysteries, and I have been collecting Lindsey Davis novels for a long while, so I have an almost complete set to pass on. Sure they're used, but that doesn't mean they don't make a great gift.
Mom and I plan to bake a zillion cookies for gifts too. I bought some Christmas rubber stamps on Ebay a couple of months ago, so I'll embellish the packages with some easy (and cheap) stamped cards.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
quote:I almost hate to give it as a gift
Normally you can get high quality copies of photos for just a few bucks if you want to keep your own copy.
Subscriptions are almost never considered as good gifts (or at least not to my knowledge but maybe I'm just ignorant) but I think it's great. I'm thinking about asking my Grandfather for a subscription to The Wall Street Journal. The one reason I can think of for subscriptions to not be given out that often is that they are normally pretty expensive, so even if I did get a subscription it would probably be Sunday only or something like that (I'll have to look into it).
Jeni, where do you get these baskets normally?
Hobbes Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
The problem with specifying gifts to Steve is that he won't get them for me. He normally comes up with a good Hardback book anyway. But, there is a particular series of four books that I first asked about for my half birthday, then for an anniversary present, and I really don't think he's going to get them for me for Christmas or my birthday (same day). I sent him the amazon link and everything. I guess I'm just going to have to buy them for myself after I recover from my OSC spending spree.
Last year for my "Christmas" present I got the LOTR trilogy in hardback and then for my "birthday" present I got the Princess Bride. Since that adds up to 3 books for Christmas, and only 1 for my birthday, I figure that to even things out I should have gotten at least two at my half birthday!
And I never know what to get him. I always just see him drooling over stuff (normally computer games) and buy it for him then because I know I'm not going to remember it later. But then, he knows I've bought it and I can't see making him wait around for a particular day when he could be having fun with it in the mean time.
AJ
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
Hobbes, I *love* getting subscriptions as a gift, because it's the gift that keeps on coming all year long. My Mom liked the subscription I got her last year, so she'll probably get Englebreit this year. Or Victorian. I did lots of magazine subscriptions last year, just because it was so easy and I like the idea that someone would get a gift from me every month, rather than just on Christmas. I'd never heard it was a bad gift, so it's possible that I offended half my relatives last year.
I get the baskets at Goodwill, usually. They get some really cool ones and it's so inexpensive. A friend of mine suggested for the golf gift to take a Pringles can and cover it in festive paper, then roll the magazine up and stuff it in. Roll the balls down the center, and top it with the tees and tokens, and it should make a fun "basket". I'm going to try it.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I LOVE subscriptions as gifts. My grandparents got me scientific american last year, and it's perfect.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I guess I'm just sheltered then. I've never heard anyone describe it as a bad gift, I hardly ever hear anyone describe it as a gift at all. I like it anyways.
Hobbes Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Subscriptions can be really cool. When I was in high school, my grandma got me a subscription to National Geographic... it was great.
I always make a point of buying books for my family as a subtle hint to my mom that she lets them watch way too much tv. So far, I've found them good copies of Alice in wonderland and a nicely illustrated Beuaty and the Beast. I still need to find something for the 20-year-old marine brother, the 15-year-old sister, and the 4-year-old brother who would probably be satisfied with a cardboard box.
I just got really cool books at a used book store for my roommates - one is the hardbound complete Chronicles of Narnia and one is a suede bound version of Rip Van Winkle in mint condition from 1902 done on a letterpress! I have yet to find something for my cowgirl roommate that I don't know very well... this one is puzzling...
Handmade presents are always the best, though. Last year I made stuffed animals and my roommate made Harry Potter scarves, and everyone loved them. And the great thing about handmade presents is the time they require - it's a perfect excuse to procrastinate that final paper. Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
Hmm...the fleece throws sound like a good idea, but i don't know if Bill will let life be that simple...
One of the favorite gifts I've given was a "Sweater of the Month" club. I have what Bill calls a sweater buying problem, and I have a friend who hates shopping for them because she gets frustrated trying to find ones with long enough sleeves that aren't freaking huge. So she got a sweater for Sept-Dec on Christmas, and I sent her a new one every month until April. It was so much fun and she loved all of them. We conspired and gave the club to another friend, but traded off months we were buying sweaters.
This year, Bill already has a couple of sewing projects including some pillows for a friend who's just bought a house and a new tree skirt, but that's for us.
The gifts I'm really happy with:
the travels with celia package for my mother. I've gotten her something from several major trips I've taken this year. It includes stuff like wine from the Indiana wine tasting festival, wine from Napa Valley, some really hideous dice earings from Las Vegas and, of course, a couple of signed items from OSC.
The Game of Thrones board game for the friend who loves that type of board game and loves those books and doesn't know the game exists! Thank you so much for telling me about it, Geoff.
The nautical map glass that I had to buy for a friend, even though I didn't know why. He decided to buy a boat, so now I have a great gift.
I got my sister a subscription to her favorite magazine so she doesn't have to buy it every month (she won't get a subscription herself ).
Bill's getting a case of wine that he can't buy anywhere locally because they don't distribute outside of thier county. Ah, the adventure of driving out to the middle of nowhere in northeast Indiana without knowing where I was going. I also found some old PS games that should provide some nostalgic enjoyment for him and a print by one the local artists that he really likes. I'm thinking of adding the complete far side, since his parents didn't get it for him, but i have to wait until i get a chance to ask my mother. Don't tell him!
Last year was so much easier because we had that trip to Ireland. Everyone got something from that trip. Edit: except Bill who got a PS2 with a few nice violent games.
Edit: Hobbes, don't get us anything. We're getting you a lump of coal and putting it a sock to beat you with if you give us stuff.
[ December 02, 2003, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: celia60 ]
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
I *love* the Sweater of the Month club idea...that is just plain fun!
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
It is a good thing Bill loathes Hatrack even though he likes me and Hobbes. I hope he doesn't spy on you here occasionally because so much for Christmas surprises then...!
AJ
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
I'm more worried about Hobbes spilling the beans than Bill looking here. He hates knowing what he's getting. He won't even handle packages with his name on them because he's too good at guessing what's in them on weight. And I doubt he'd lurk without telling me. If he is, he deserves the ruined surprise.
[ December 02, 2003, 02:58 PM: Message edited by: celia60 ]
Posted by Julie (Member # 5580) on :
One year my brother got my dad a hatchet for when we go camping and for chopping wood, etc., and he wrapped it in aluminum foil and duct tape and put it under the tree. It was hilarious becuase it looked like the tin woodsman's ax!
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
Im giving my siblings a card with a one dollar bill in it. They'll appreciate the time and effort that went into that gift when they are older.
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
I'm giving T_Smith a wedgie.
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
I'm making hats for a bunch of my friends but I have a really hard time getting stuff for my guy friends. Guys: what sorts of inexpensive things would you like to get?
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
I think a good gift would be to get somebody a pre-paid years subscription to gamefly.com. No wait, that's just what I want.
I don't know, I always loved getting useful things. I don't think guys like knick-knack kind of stuff if you know what I mean. Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Guys always like food.... (brownies, cookies, cake, candy, cocoa mix, a loaf of bread, etc.)
[ December 02, 2003, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: ludosti ]
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
True. Nothing says "I love you" like a 16 oz New York Steak. Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
quote:I'm thinking about asking my Grandfather for a subscription to The Wall Street Journal. The one reason I can think of for subscriptions to not be given out that often is that they are normally pretty expensive, so even if I did get a subscription it would probably be Sunday only or something like that (I'll have to look into it).
Hobbes, Dr.M gets the WSJ print version here in Richmond every day. He says it's between $100 and $200. Of course, he writes it off as a business expense. Most subscriptions are much, much cheaper than that, especially fashion magazines. A subscription to Vogue and W are $12 each. The newsstand price is usually around $4 per issue.
quote:I always make a point of buying books for my family as a subtle hint to my mom that she lets them watch way too much tv.
Annie, that's exactly what I do for Dr.M's and my cousins! They never seem to get the hint, though.
I do almost all my holiday shopping at Costco and local craft and antique fairs.
A great gift for animal lovers is an adopt-a-wild-animal package. I gave my mother-in-law a dolphin one year and she loved it. They give you updates on where your dolphin is, how it is doing, how they track him or her, etc. Plus, the money goes to the wildlife funds.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
I didn't have time/energy to make any year, but homemade canned salsa is great, if you use fresh garden produce it's SO much better than the stuff you buy in the store that's been made with underripe tomatoes that taste like cardboard.
Other good homemade stuff = sundried tomatoes, frozen basil pesto, garlic braids, etc.
Two of my fave subscriptions to give = Funny Times (funny cartoons and essays) and Bust magazine (feminist/pop culture)
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Celia, tell you what, I wont get Bill anything but I already ordered your present (it's probably cheaper than a lump of coal and a sack so no worries ) . And don't worry about me spilling the beans, I don't really have time to type this (not that that's going to stop me obviously), unless something unexpected happens I probably wont be able to see either of you until next semester.
Hobbes
[ December 02, 2003, 04:35 PM: Message edited by: Hobbes ]
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
Kristine made pumpking butter and strawberry preserves to give out to the neighbors and friends while she was home pregnant.
As far as the fleece blanket, one of the coolest baby gifts Ryan got was this dragon fleece blanket.
One of the best gifts I ever did for some of the guys I know was those X10 starter kits. You can go around and set the lights in your house on remote control. You don't have to wander around the house at night turning everything off, you just hit the switch by the bed and it all goes off at once.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Hatrack White Elephant Exchange Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
now i'm confused.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
quote:I do almost all my holiday shopping at Costco...
Because nothin' says lovin' like a number 10 can of pork 'n beans. Posted by Black Mage (Member # 5800) on :
The soccer girls were fundraising, so I've ordered my mother a four-picture locket.
Erm. .. for you women out there--ya'll like that sorta thing, right?
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
quote: Because nothin' says lovin' like a number 10 can of pork 'n beans.
Especially for Chanukkah.
[ December 02, 2003, 06:45 PM: Message edited by: Mrs.M ]
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
*grumbles*
I just found out that some distant relatives decided to draw names for who was going to get presents for who and decided my family ought to be included. Today I got the letter telling me that I had to get a present for someone I haven't spoken to in... ever? Oh, and could I please have it in the mail in time to reach Europe before Christmas. And it should be in the $50 range.
The least the could have done is wish me luck on the finals I'm in the middle of writing or finding a place to live in the New Year.
Wankers! Wankers the lot of them!
So, if you were a British woman somewhere between 30 and 40 with a son (I think?) who's under 10 (again, I think?) what would you want? Oh, and you work... somewhere. Doing stuff for a living.
*sigh*
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
quote:So, if you were a British woman somewhere between 30 and 40 with a son (I think?) who's under 10 (again, I think?) what would you want? Oh, and you work... somewhere. Doing stuff for a living.
BtL, I would probably want something I couldn't get in Britain. I have no idea what that might be. Sorry. I usually give gifts like Tiffany keychains to people I don't know well. Do you have to buy a gift for the son? If so, get him books.
quote:I've ordered my mother a four-picture locket.
Erm. .. for you women out there--ya'll like that sorta thing, right?
That sounds very nice, Black Mage. I would put pictures in it, of yourself and other family members - that will give it that extra special touch.
Posted by Black Mage (Member # 5800) on :
Well yes, I'm not giving it to her empty. But thanks for the info, o'course--I'm never sure what to get anybody. Usually I'm not sure myself what I want, so it's hard to figure out what others like. I see photo work in the future. The inner locket part, for the second two pictures, is incredibly small.
Now I search out gifts for my father and my brother.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
I am knitting a scarf for my son. This is a true act of courage and love since it takes me about 15 minutes to tortuously knit three rows. However, I promised him three years ago when he first learned to knit at school, so THIS year I WILL complete it. (Thank heavens for certified knitters at work that can cast me on, fix all my dropped stitches and other boo-boos and in general encourage me to do this simple little project.)
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
I have seen some incredible things out there on the internet that I have gotten/will get for people.
Gurgling Jugs are really cool. They're nice looking, and make a fun gurgling noise when you pour liquid out of them.
Giant Microbes for the doctor/scientist you know. They're cute stuffed animals that come with a profile of the bug they're imitating.
Sound bug is a speaker that turns a surface into a speaker. It works only moderately (depends highly on the surface), but it has a really high geek factor.
d20, old. This is supposedly a roman d20 die of glass with different etchings on each side. Not quite a realistic gift, but really really neat.
Spin rings for anyone who likes celtic jewelry. These rings have a middle band that can rotate.
Maybe I'll remember more. But these are what come off the top of my head =)
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
I'm probably getting my parents a paper shredder for Christmas. Not very exciting, but useful.
I have a very picky friend that I always exchange gifts with and I haven't come up with any possible ideas for her yet. NONE. She returns almost anything she is given and returns about 50% of the things she buys herself. I can't pick out jewelry, as she only wears 18K gold, and she is Jewish and I just can't come up with any ideas this year.
Argh.
Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :
Buy her candy. That always works. Or a gift certificate.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Those giant microbes are so cool. I really think the common cold and ebola would be cute in my stuffed animal collection.
A friend of mine in elementary school was a model in an ad for plush organs like a smiling stomach or pancreas or large intestine - the theory being that you give them to kids in the hospital as a present and an educational toy. They were actually really cool.
[ December 03, 2003, 01:16 PM: Message edited by: Annie ]
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Reminds me of Infectious Awareables, where you can get all sorts of clothing featuring different diseases! (And, yes, I am giving a tie to my brother that I got there)
[ December 03, 2003, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: ludosti ]
Posted by Black Mage (Member # 5800) on :
I wanna giant microbe. . .
Posted by Maccabeus (Member # 3051) on :
My mother collects Santa Claus figures, mostly of the antique variety. As a joke, I am therefore getting her a Santa in beach clothes from Cracker Barrel. She should love it.
Posted by Black Mage (Member # 5800) on :
So I'm getting my brother a giant microbe as a gag gift. The only question now: ebola or black death.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
For up to $35/year, you get a mutant stuffed animal every month (two heads, no heads, one ear, six arms, etc.)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Definitely black death! It's a classic.
Theca, I'm confused. Is it particularly hard to buy 18K gold? I think I have some pieces that are 18K. Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
plaid - I love it!! My personal favorite line: Real animals parts (e.g. chicken feet, skulls, etc.) OK or NOT OK? Cute or morbid or a mix?
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
Rivka: No, 18k is great but I just wouldn't be able to find anything 18K in the price range we usually use.
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
Creepy rabbits. I mean, how much of that stuff is taken from actual dead animals?
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
I love the mutant animals. That woman is very odd yet kinda cool. Did you guys look at the rest of the site? Yikes!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
What's the range, Theca? This classic is under $100 (before shipping and such).
Go to Hobby Lobby, find the clear glass Christmas tree ornaments in the plain white box. Put a few boxes in your basket.
Find the tempera paint. Choose a few different colors: I suggest blue, green, red, and yellow, but definitely get some white. Put them in your basket.
Find the pretty Christmasy ribbon. Put a few yards in your basket.
Find a gold paint marker. Fine tip. Put that in your basket.
Find glitter in a spray can. Gold looks best, IMO, but pick one you like that will compliment the paint you've chosen. Put that in your basket.
Purchase all the things in your basket and go to Wal-Mart. Buy a box of small dixie cups. Go home.
Assembly:
Take the gold top off the ormanent. Be careful, the glass is fragile.
Pour some tempera inside the ornament. Choose one or two colors, and put some white in as well. Put your index finger over the hole, and shake or swirl the paint colors together. Then, pour the excess paint out into a trash can. Try to get as much of the extra paint out as possible, as it will slow the drying time.
Put a pencil or small dowel rod into the ornament. Spray the ornament lightly with the glitter.
Put the ornament, hole side down, in a dixie cup to dry.
Once completely dry, put the gold cap back on. Thread a 9 inch piece of the pretty ribbon through the ring at the top, and tie in a pretty bow.
Use the gold paint pen to write on the ormanent. Last year, I put a name of a member of our family one each one, and 2002 on the back.
Put the ornaments back in the box. Put the lid on, and secure with a length of the same pretty ribbon.
Cost per box: about $3
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
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I highly recommend this as a Christmas present. ![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
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Hatrack White Elephant Exchange ![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
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