We have started a registry at Target. Seriously. One list for all three of us. No one bitching because we gave one side of the family a tip on something the little one wants before the other side could buy it. Just a registry. Once it's been bought, then it's time to just move on to the next thing on the list.

We've been told NOT to buy gifts for anyone this year except for Max. Our pretty well-off family says we need to save our money to spend on him. They say they'll still buy us stuff. Sounds like a plan. (Yes, we're going to give parents and grandparents gift certs. to eat out. But, that's it...)

This is the least stressful Xmas yet.

Ohhh and we're doing a chapter gift exchange (voluntary, of course). I got a new initiate who I don't know very well so...I guess I'll do some Facebook stalking.

I got my mother's gift on EBAY, and when I went to pay for it I found I had money in my PayPal account. It makes me feel like I didn't spend anything on her because I thought my account was empty. :cool:

I keep asking my sisters to do "secret santa" - where at least the adults pick names and give just give a gift to one person - but they said that sounds cheap.

Between hubby and I, we have 5 parents, 10 siblings/sibs-in-law, and 8 nieces/nephews. We don't have kids, so in essense, all the $$ we spend on the kids during the year and on Christmas doesn't really get reciprocated. I know that sounds harsh, but there seems to be such a sense of entitlement and competition, when it comes to getting gifts for people's kids. Heaven forbid one kid gets something more expensive than the other (the parents can tell), or if one kid's gift has several things in it (like action figures) and that kid's sibling's gift has one "thing" - the kids complain.

Hubby said that everyone is getting $10 gift cards this year and that's it. Part of me likes the idea, the other part wants to shop around for the "perfect gifts". But we always end up spending almost $1000 on other people and putting it on credit, and this year, that is NOT happening.

I bought BF a new wallet and am making him one of those no-sew fleece blankets so he stops stealing mine. I will probably buy my brother letters, and I still need ideas for my mom and dad. Sorry folks, but those are the only people I can afford to buy for this year. My christmas card list, however, is approaching seventy.....

I hate Christmas shopping, so I'm asking you all for ideas! Every year, I am invited to several "Dirty Santa" parties (not the ones with "naughty" gifts). What are some suggestions for generic gifts in the $10 - $15 range? I really have a hard time finding nice things in this price range. Christmas ornaments don't seem very original, and some of my friends have themed decorations and wouldn't use just any ornament. Help me, please!

Dirty Santa (we call it White Elephant): We have one at work every year. Are you sure it is suppose to be "nice"?

Last year the "prize" gift was some kind of plastic gun that shot discs at people. Other great gifts were a bag of marketing give-away pens, post-it notes, and hand outs that you get from sales people, one guy framed an 8x10 of himself and autographed it, ugly Christmas Sweaters, CDs for Polka music, and lava lamps.

My SIL and I were also chapter sisters. She always got a giftcard from one of the stores that lets you put a picture on it. Always of her making a goofy face.

The Houston Sigma Chi alumni chapter has a neat tradition - the Jesus plate. They have a White Elephant gift exchange, and every year the Jesus plate has the starring role. It is a hand-painted plate featuring your favorite Son of God and mine, with "God Bless the _______ Family" on it. It was a wedding gift from a member's granny, and is tacky, tacky, tacky. The trick is to disguise the plate so someone will pick it - and have the honour of having it for the year to come.

Our alumnae club does an ornament exchange, with stealing allowed. We each pick a number. Number 1 picks a package and opens it. Number 2 can choose to take Number 1s gift or can take a new package and so on. It's the only time you WANT to be last. The squirrel ornaments *always* get stolen. I'm so glad you people reminded me. I need to order an ornament from The Squirrel Store.

I'm considering taking all the digital pics of my daughter's trip to Europe and having them made into one of those bound photo albums where the pages ARE the pictures so they can't fall out or anything and you can arrange each page. That might end up being her birthday present though because I'm not sure how long it takes to get them (her birthday is in January). Does anybody have a company they've used for one of those?

I've used www.winkflash.com and been very happy. I do wait till they offer 50% off, so I can put ALL the pictures I want in them!

Thanks! Those are more reasonable than some of the pricing I've seen, even at full price!

That's hilarious. I love wacky traditions like that. My family has a tradition of designing the "Bowl Weasel". It's a ridiculous ongoing joke where we basically upgrade a plunger and try to one-up each other each year. I'm not sure whose turn it is this year.