What are you getting your family?

In honesty, this is just me fishing for ideas for gifts, but everyone can get on in it.

I have so far, gotten my father an Ak-47 style pellet gun and my mother a bottle of Aeromatics Elixir along with some candle holders that came free with it. For my friend, I am most likely make him a skull pillow he can put on his bed or couch.

We don't give gifts.

I always end up trying not to but in the end getting my mom soap. Or lotion. I never have any idea what to get my dad, but I'm looking for interesting gifts for my sister having to do with dachshunds and teachers (she's a teacher and owns four dogs). So far I've got her a magnet set with dachshunds on them.

Hm.....tough one. I did do some shopping, but there are a few people I have a hard time shopping for. This is what I've got so far:

Mom: Pepper grinder she asked for, but I want to get her a couple more things
Dad: NY Yankee's World Series Highlights DVD and an ape cigarette lighter
Sisters-in-law: I got them both Sally Hanson mini nail polish sets and nail clipper kits
Nephew#1: some remote control car
Nephew #2: thinking about a Diego train set
Niece: thinking about a Dora train set

I get my sisters-in-law inexpensive simple (cheap) things, because they are painfully difficult to shop for. They both tend to like high end expensive things that I can't afford. I don't think they've ever used or worn things I've given to them, either.

Haven't gotten anything for my brothers yet. Don't really know what to get them. They tend to get me crap, so I dunno.

Honestly, sometimes I wish they wouldn't buy me anything at all.

My mother is done. She's easy to buy for and we buy for each other all year long from yard sales and thrift shops.

It's my dad and brother I dread buying for because they have everything they want or need.

I have a couple more gifts to buy my niece and nephews and then they are done.

After visiting an antique shop in a nearby town that specializes in primitives I came home and made them all cloth ornaments with their names on them.

They don't look all that great, but I plan to start making them one every year so I hope my skill improves in time.

I'm listing where I got these things b/c I know you're looking for gift ideas.

For Mom: leopard fuzzy slippers (Target), embroidered cotton top and a tank top to go underneath (also Target), little chihuahua ornament with angel wings and halo (kiosk at mall; Mom adopted a chihuahua this summer, after Grandma went into a nursing home and her dog passed away).

For Grandma: She's in the home now, so I thought warm soft socks would be good. 2 pair, from Sears.

For my stepdad: Carhartt henley-style work shirt from this site: http://supercasuals.com/ (the prices are very good)

For Mom's cousin: gift certificate for a local health food store.

For a guy friend: I made a necklace. Braided skinny silk cords together; threaded a dragon pendant on the braid; attached a clasp. And maybe I'll get him a CD too.

For my best friend: fairy tapestry throw from http://www.amybrownart.com/

For my boss: probably gift cards for Borders and Bruegger's.

For my husband: can't yet say... in case he reads the forum.

So yeah... in short, I'm now broke.

edit: I almost forgot -- I'm making a memorial collage for my sister-in-law, to commemorate the life of her dog, who she lost this year.

I also got The Federalist Papers, The Constitution, and Thomas Paines Common Sense since they are really getting into politics.

Dad- $100 in a card, aftershave, cologne, razers (stuff he would use)
Mom- $50 in a card, perfume, mini bottles of Bailey's gift set. And one more item I just haven't figured out what.
Both my brothers got the same stuff. Axe body spray box set, playboy body spray box set, socks pj set with boxers, shaving kit.
And one will get a gift set of Jack Daniels and a $50 gift card at a clothing store that sells Diesel clothing which is pretty much all my brother wears.
My oldest will get a gift set of Crown Royal and this.
My best friend- perfume
Her youngest daughter- a doll, pj's and an outfit.
Her oldest (my goddaughter) pjs, outfit, Hannah Montana make up stuff.
I also plan on throwing in some x-mas candies and such in a stocking.
Michael's mum- body wash and lotion from a store she likes.
Former boss/friend - hand lotion and soap.

Michael is all that's left and i don't know what to get him.
I'm thinking the new apple magic mouse cause the one he has now sucks haha.

Mom gets a photo callendar that I'll make while at work in the Target photo lab. I just need to find more cool old pictures to scan into it.

Dad gets what I've gotten him in prior years- a six pack of a seasonal microbrew beer.

I'm knitting a blanket for my brother who lives in cold, snowy Montana.

A scarf and some homemade candles for my sister.

As for my other brother... he's 12. Last year I got him a remote control tarantula. That's gonna be a tough act to top. Any ideas?

Mom, Grandmothers- Hand-dyed scarves I made for my Ro-zome (Japanese wax resist dyeing) final, plus some really good tea.
I also have an excellent bottle of Canadian vin de glace and Icelandic chocolate I picked up for my mother.


Dad, brother- I skipped them; my mom is shopping for them on my behalf since I have no idea what to get them.

Extended family- bath salts, cookies, jars of cookie/cake/brownie/soup mix, jams from the summertime, bread, herb-scented heat packs, or candles in class holders encased in herb-laced paper; all of these things are home made...


I'm pretty strapped for cash these days, but I still try to make do and give people really nice gifts regardless.

Mom- She is a horder of items so I think I'm just going to get her bath stuff or a book of family pictures.
Randy (brother)- He is a reserve police officer and a chemist. So I'm making his reserve badge out of match sticks.
Tom (brother)- Bowling for Soup CD
Sis-n-law- A heart necklace (cuz she really didn't want anything this year)
Uncle Russ- He is becoming a priest and I get him that kind of stuff all the time. So I'm not sure what I am getting him yet. I know he is probably tired of always getting thinkgs about jesus or crosses.
Uncle Chris- He likes hunting so I got a little wooden moose to go with their house decor
Aunt Sue- Oil perfume that I had specially mixed up
Aunt Shelia- Probably lotion or something. I never know what she likes.
Zombie Noodles- We are buying each other tattoos for our bdays and christmas.
Alyssa (friend)- Oil perfume I had specially made for her
Tim (friend)- Gift card to 7-11 for when he is at college
Carl (friend)- A pack of smokes or some kind of tea or health food
Sara (cousin adopted out of the family after her parents died... long sad story)- A sterling silver item with horses on it. She loves them.

Maxmordon wrote:

We don't give gifts.

That's the stuff right there. Me and you Max, we're on the same wave length. I give the people I love hugs, they're thrifty and meaningful.

Someone at work said; "well won't the people you love be mad if you don't get them gifts? Aren't they expecting them?" I replied; "if anyone in my life feels I need to prove I love them by buying them sh*t, I don't actually love them and won't be buying them sh*t because of it. The people I do love, know I love them, and won't be expecting me to buy them sh*t."

Spooky wrote:

Maxmordon wrote:

We don't give gifts.

That's the stuff right there. Me and you Max, we're on the same wave length. I give the people I love hugs, they're thrifty and meaningful.

Someone at work said; "well won't the people you love be mad if you don't get them gifts? Aren't they expecting them?" I replied; "if anyone in my life feels I need to prove I love them by buying them sh*t, I don't actually love them and won't be buying them sh*t because of it. The people I do love, know I love them, and won't be expecting me to buy them sh*t."

Bravo. Thats why my family stopped giving gifts like 10 years ago. I never ever celebrated the religious part of Christmas, however I have celebrated the gift part of christmas. I never was a fan. I figured if I wanted to give someone a gift I could do that any time of the year.

I love giving gifts. For me, Christmas is an excellent excuse. (Also keeps gift-giving to once a year, except birthdays.)

^^I agree redangel. There are a few people in my family this year that don't want gifts because no one really has money. But a part of me would feel bad if I didn't give anything. I normally can't give very much during the year so I try to make for it at this point. So even if I don't buy something big, I at least like to get something small or make something.

Emmature wrote:

As for my other brother... he's 12. Last year I got him a remote control tarantula. That's gonna be a tough act to top. Any ideas?

Looking through the National Geographic catalog, there is a remote control robot.

^Score! The tarantula was National Geographic too!

I ended up getting my mom a three way magnified mirror from Sally Beauty Supply.

My sister's really into Japanese food, so I've got her a dinner set with bowls, chopstick holders, etc. I think my parents are buying her a nice bottle of Sake, too, so thst ties together nicely

My father wanted to go see Avatar, so I've picked up tickets for the two of us and I'll take us out for a father-daughter dinner afterwards.

Boyfriend is getting some high-end earphones, because he needs a new set, but he'd never spend the money on a really decent pair.

My mother's trickier to buy for. She usually likes witchy stuff, so I might get her a new Green Man or something. I feel like I'm perpetually buying her things like that, though, so we'll see.

I try to buy things that people want, but would not buy for themselves, and I really hate buying things people won't use.

lets see, this is a long list:

2 gift cards to claires for my sis and lil cousin,
3 walmart gift cards for 1 brother and 2 boy cousins
1 FYE gift card for the other brother
1 Gamestop Giftcard for the last male cousin
A picture frame with 8 spots for pics that are of me in college for my mum
Another picture frame for my grandparents, I am going to put a pic of ma and them in ti
A picture frame for a pic of me and my dad for my dad.
A lighthouse salt and pepper sharker holder for my great grandma
A t-shirt from my school for my aunt

that is just christmas for them, there was also 5 birthdays within this month and januarty and then the family I am staying withs presents....

I finished up some shopping today, sort of, I should get my dad something besides his mug that says "I'd rather be fishing"

I got my sister and her husband a door mat with their names on it, my sister a tshirt with "My dog ate my lesson plans" from CafePress (She's a teacher and has four dogs) and four dinner glasses from JCPenny for the both of them.

I got my mom a mirror that I already posted about, and from JCPenney I got a some coffee flavor thingies for her.

I <3 Christmas shopping

Spooky wrote:

Maxmordon wrote:

We don't give gifts.

That's the stuff right there. Me and you Max, we're on the same wave length. I give the people I love hugs, they're thrifty and meaningful.

Someone at work said; "well won't the people you love be mad if you don't get them gifts? Aren't they expecting them?" I replied; "if anyone in my life feels I need to prove I love them by buying them sh*t, I don't actually love them and won't be buying them sh*t because of it. The people I do love, know I love them, and won't be expecting me to buy them sh*t."

I havent bought a gift for my best friend Lynney purely because her friendship and love is a gift to me every day
We also have an agreement that we are gigging next year and going to pull out all the stops clothes wise.

Apart from Lynney, I have spent a LOT but then again I love giving gifts more than receiving and the X box will be well used once the girls go to bed

good to know I'm not the only one NOT buying crap