Christmas shopping 2008 - Page 2

WCsweet<3 · #1 11-17-2008, 01:01 PM

I'm with Honeychile. My family usually ignores Christmas until Thanksgiving day. On that day, the whole family (read the small extended part which makes us a group of ten) decides what the theme for Christmas will be. We usually do something like made in Oregon/food/things to do with the family. The immediate family does lists the day after Thanksgiving, if they ever give a list. I have never been to any of the black Thursday sales, but I think I might try this year.

nikki1920 · #2 11-17-2008, 04:00 PM

They'd be lucky to get THAT from me. A thank you implies some kind of appreciation for said gift. No thank you = no gift.

SWTXBelle · #3 11-17-2008, 04:12 PM

One year I gave the nieces and nephews personalized stationery. No thank you notes. The next year I gave them etiquette books. No thank you notes. So now I make a point of spending as little as I can without looking totally cheap. I got 3 of them Webkinz - they were 1/2 price. And the minute they turn 18, that's it, cupcakes. No more gifts.

ForeverRoses · #4 11-17-2008, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

One year I gave the nieces and nephews personalized stationery. No thank you notes. The next year I gave them etiquette books. No thank you notes. So now I make a point of spending as little as I can without looking totally cheap. I got 3 of them Webkinz - they were 1/2 price. And the minute they turn 18, that's it, cupcakes. No more gifts.

Seriously, I didn't think there was much worse than no thank you note. But there is- the thank you notes that my nieces send. One year it read "Dear Aunt FR, thank you for the outfit. I returned it for a sweater". Another year it read "Dear Aunt FR, thank you for the watch. I couldn't figure out what time it was with it so I returned it for earrings". Besides the disturbing thought that a freshman in high school can't read a standard watch, my niece actually had picked the darned thing out!

ETA- these thank you notes came from different nieces- they are sisters though!

Munchkin03 · #5 11-17-2008, 05:27 PM

We do a family gift exchange--my mother's siblings, their spouses, children, and grandchildren. There are about 20 of us, and we're pretty close and see each other regularly.

I don't think I've ever received a thank-you card, thank-you phone call, or even an acknowledgement of the gift's receipt. The past three years, I've shipped the presents to California, and the only way I know they receive it is when the UPS shipping confirmation e-mail comes into my inbox.

Why do I still do this blasted exchange?

SWTXBelle · #6 11-17-2008, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

Seriously, I didn't think there was much worse than no thank you note. But there is- the thank you notes that my nieces send. One year it read "Dear Aunt FR, thank you for the outfit. I returned it for a sweater". Another year it read "Dear Aunt FR, thank you for the watch. I couldn't figure out what time it was with it so I returned it for earrings". Besides the disturbing thought that a freshman in high school can't read a standard watch, my niece actually had picked the darned thing out!

ETA- these thank you notes came from different nieces- they are sisters though!

When I went to Walt Disney World for my 40th birthday, I got all the nieces and nephews gifts - and my then-childless brother's dog a gift, too. The only thank you note I got? From the dog.

agzg · #7 11-17-2008, 04:13 PM

My mom used to make us give her a list BEFORE Veteran's Day, then on Veteran's Day since she had the day off work she would go to Buffalo and spend the day getting things from our lists. When we got older, it got crazier - when I was in undergrad she used to go to Erie instead, then make me try on everything she wanted to get me, then she would take it all home and wrap it.

When I lived in Pittsburgh, she made me e-mail her a list (with links) so that she would have pictures to reference. Every year she always did the 5 for $25 undies at Victoria's Secret for all the girls in the family (me, my sister-in-law, cousins) and she always picked the craziest stuff they had. One year I got mesh underwear. Christmas shopping was one of her favorite things to do, and she was always done by Thanksgiving. Last Christmas was pretty tough without her - I felt so bad for my dad that day.

This year, we told my dad that all we wanted was steak knives. Because all us kids (me, my boyfriend, my brother and his wife) are pretty skint this year, we're going in on a GPS unit for him because that way we can afford a pretty decent one without breaking the bank.

My limit for almost everyone is $50. Mostly because I (STILL) don't have a job, so I'm living on savings right now, plus add in the fact that now I have my boyfriend's family to think of, too. My boyfriend gets a little more - we set the ABSOLUTE limit at $150 but both promised to try to keep it under $100. I got the Nintendo sneakers - I'm probably going to get something else smaller to go with them, then he's done.

ZTAMich · #8 11-17-2008, 04:49 PM

Got some Vera Bradley bags for my mom & youngest sister at Marshall's back in September.
Got my other sister a cute hoodie from Primp. It's a sheep print, her sorority mascot.
I also sent them some goodies from Sephora for an early present - the philosophy cookbook & a pack of Stila lip glazes.
For my dad - TBD
For my husband - I actually may get him...slippers. He put on an old pair of loafers when he comes home and it bugs me. Maybe something like uggs??? I don't know... We're going away for the holidays to Paris so we're not trying to spend a lot!!

sthrnsweetie007 · #9 11-17-2008, 05:28 PM

I haven't started shopping yet. Thank goodness what my family/friends want shouldn't be out of stock.

But I WILL NOT be going shopping on Black Friday, I'll be working it instead.

LucyKKG · #10 11-17-2008, 08:59 PM

I <3 Christmas and everything about it. I've only gotten one present so far cause I saw it and I thought of my friend. (It's a lyre ornament for my A Chi O friend.) I'm planning on making some scarves, and I have yarn for that already.
I know what I'm getting for a few people but I have NO idea what I'm gonna get for my boyfriend. We haven't been dating that long yet...he said he wants a unicorn though. Lol! I was going to knit a scarf for my roommate but she told me how happy she is that she isn't exchanging gifts with her bff because of the cost and time...blahhh! Fine! She hates Christmas, too.

Buttonz · #11 11-18-2008, 12:56 AM

I am 99% done with my Holiday shopping besides for 2 Secret Santa swaps on other message boards and 2 on-line friends. Did all my shopping on-line.

I'll share this one gift: My two best friends happen to be two of my sisters. One of them my pledge sister, the other one her little. I got the three of us matching bears from Build A Bear wearing shirts that say SDT with our pledge names under them. On the birth certificate, the birthday is initiation day for all of us .

KSUViolet06 · #12 11-18-2008, 02:03 AM

I will be out town for Christmas Day, so I have to start now with my shopping.

I have 2 god-daughters (ages 4 and 2) and I'm most excited to shop for them this year. Their mom gave me their Christmas lists yesterday and I'm going to pick one item from each of their lists and go try and get them this week. Four year old is obsessed with this Hannah Montana microphone thing and 2 year old wants a Fisher Price pony thing (I actually have never seen this, so I'm just going to go to Toys R Us and see what it is).

Tippiechick · #13 11-18-2008, 02:26 AM

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.

LucyKKG · #14 11-18-2008, 03:16 AM

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.

Kappamd · #15 11-18-2008, 12:29 PM

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.....