what are the presents you GIVE this year?

[trekkiedane]

In your own opinion, what is the greatest ideas for presents you have this season?

I find it terribly difficult to give good presents, especially as all the people I exchange gifts with -and I- agree that it should be mostly symbolic and never expensive...

Sure, kids are different and do get presents in a higher price-range, but even those presents are 'reasonably priced'.

Mum's been complaining about the mess of cables around dad's computer-desk, so he'll most probably get one of those snake-like thingys that hold cables.

And I'm on the look-out for a Swedish windshield-ice-scraper (the Swedes know about heavy ice!) -I suppose I'll give that to mum as she's the one complaining about the one they have

And I'm that 'boring gift'-giving uncle; all younglings get books

But books are sooo difficult to give; you have to find something that they wouldn't think off themselves but are still good enough to not be traded for something else right after Christmass

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

This is what I have so far:

DVD sets, this is most people.. lots of Trek!
L'Occitane candle (35.00 for a candle wtf..) that I know the person will be thrilled with
Selection of exotic beers (that was fun to shop for)
Tintin mug
Star Wars ships
Star Wars Darth Maul double light saber
My Little Pony ponies
Star Wars Visual Dictionaries
Tintin books X 2
Polo shirt

I bought all the dvd sets months ago at a mega sale, so that's been helpful.

 

[auntiehill]

Hubby's nephew loves Doctor Who, so I'm giving him the collector's edition lunch box, coasters and travel mug, along with a hooded sweatshirt.

Niece 1 gets scarf and gloves in her favorite color and cd from her favorite singer.

Niece 2 gets fleece v-neck with camisole in her favorite colors

Niece 3 gets a huge tub of wooden blocks (already mailed to the house, so they don't have to lug it back on the plane) and a cute stuffed animal, so she'll have something under the tree.

Nephew gets a camera case and memory card to go with VERY pricey camera his mother is buying him.

Dad gets a tweed cap to replace the one recently eaten by dog.

Mom gets a nightgown from her favorite designer.

Sister 1 gets a artsy wallet she asked for, plus a rhinestone pen set.

Sister 2 gets a check, as she is broke and said she needs cash ASAP.

Friend 1 gets a cd and dvd from her wishlist.

Friend 2 gets a book she wanted plus some funny office supplies.

Friend 3 got two dvds from her wishlist

Mother in law gets an alarm clock with very large numbers and a canvas, as she likes to paint.

Crazy-ass sister in law and her husband will get gift cards, since they never tell us what they want, despite the fact we've all asked about a dozen times.

Hubby's pal and his sister will get candy and home-baked cookies, as that is what they asked for.

In addition to all that, I probably spent another 50-60 dollars on trinkets and candy to put in the kids' stockings. As Auntie, this has become my job, somehow, but I love doing it.


I think the best gift idea was for Niece 3; she's not yet 4 years old and her sisters are already 14. She doesn't have someone her own age to play with and I very clearly remember how much I LOVED playing with my brightly colored wooden blocks. I played with them until I was about 7 and they didn't require a playmate, or batteries, or help from a parent.

 

[Data Holmes]

I don't give Christmas gifts.

 

[kolibri]

Body Worlds DVD and exhibit book for my mother, The Book of Mr. Natural and R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz, and Country for my dad, and a t-shirt for my sister. I'm financially limited.

 

[StarMan]

I don't give Christmas gifts.

Ditto.

And I don't expect any. The state people get themselves into this time of year has always baffled me. Christmas takes over the entire month. It would be nice if I could opt out without people thinking I'm mean spirited.

It's always a relief the 2nd week in January ... getting back to, you know... life.

 

[lurok]

Love. Lots of it.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Star man! Long time no see! Come and join us in the Oldtimer thread - it's starting to get a way-back-when lounge feeling and quite a few people have been missing you there. http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=190429&page=30




Back to the thread's topic:
Books for my mom and siblings, copies of my audiobooks and some ebooks for my dad (his vision isn't that good anymore), a DVD for my sister in law as she's not as much into reading as the rest of the family, a long walk for the dog and a big walnut for the hamster.
And an extra tin of homemade gingerbread and cinnamon star cookies for my sister (she's addicted to them and always keeps a few throughout the year for emergencies when she needs comfort food).

In my family we have found our own way of de-commercializing Christmas: handmade presents are prefered, no single present may be more expensive than $20. If it costs more, several of us buy it together. The sum of presents for 1 person ought not exceed $50. We silently agree that there's an exception for my sister in law. She came over from the Philippines with only 2 suitcases and we try to gradually replace what she left behind and get her what she needs here (warm sweaters, gloves, boots, thick coats & wollen tights, primarily, as our winters are pretty cold).

We also avoid getting into contact with commercial Christmas as much as we possibly can. We reduce our shopping expeditions and stick to small shops where they have no Christmas music. We go to the Christmas market instead and to concerts. There are no cookies before Christmas Eve (exception: St Nicolas day) and we decorate the tree in the afternoon of Christmas Eve. (Traditionally, a Bavarian christmas tree is left standing 40 days till Feb 2th, though. If you use a fir tree like we do, shed needles won't be something to worry.)
In short: we keep Christmas in the traditional way

 

[Spot's Meow]

I love buying gifts, watching them being opened is really one of the best parts of Christmas.

Let's see, this year I bought my sisters some jewelry, my teenage sister some beads to hang in her bedroom doorway, another sister got a tin of Unicorn Meat (pretty hilarious joke gift as she's obsessed with unicorns), another sister got "Like" and "Dislike" stamps (look just like the Facebook buttons), and a calendar mousepad. My mom and dad got calendars, bath stuff, and a walking cane (with a lion's head at the top). Other people got really hot sauce, smelly candles (there's actually a french baguette one that really smells like baking bread), soaps, a gummi bear lamp (lights up when you press the belly), books, some stuff from the As Seen on TV store, and some other things I'm sure I'm forgetting.

It sounds like a lot, but most individual items were somewhere around $10, so it really isn't much. Also, I am a real cheapskate with my money the rest of the year; Christmas is the one time where I enjoy being generous with my money.

I actually went more traditional with my gifts this year. Normally I buy some strange or unique items, such as the didgeridoo I bought one of my sisters last year. That was fun to wrap.

 

[FPAlpha]

Best presents are those where you actually think about the person and give something personal or unique.

Anyone can click a few buttons on someone's Amazon wishlist or give out gift vouchers for a local electronics store but to give something meaningful gets you far more rewards and happyness.

For example.. i have a running gag with my female best friend where we pretend i'm in negotiations with her dad to "get" her.. it's only a matter how many camels she's worth.

So last Christmas i send her a cute Plush Camel and was rewarded with a long, hearty laugh and a huge "Thank you" - that camel now has a honorary place on her bed

This christmas i'm surprising my mom by visting her (she lives more than a 1000km away) when i drive with my dad (who's visiting me before christmas) home to their house. She's got no clue that i'm coming