Christmas shopping

there is one in freehold, cherry hill and a new one in brick

Freehold's the one that's closer for us.

my family gets together for Xmass and does the gift swap thing - kids under 18 each receive a gift from everyone (too much! - these kids are spoiled) and the adults pick a name out of the hat - my sister usually decides the amount to spend because she has the least $$. this year it is $30/person. I have my old man this year and i re-new his sports illustrated subscription every year - he will owe my $50 - have to ask my sister how to handle this:)

this year we have the pleasure of hosting again. attached is a picture from 2006 when we last hosted. front two are my brothers sons, back two are my daughter's 1 and 2 (they are on the left) - 3 was working, and the hippie is my sisters son I dragged through Baxter State Park this summer and went off to the Marines two weeks ago - hair is gone!

great picture.

Very nice, Bill!

Never mind the shopping, I have done some, mainly books--now to get everything here mailed. How about houses for my kids, brother in an easy distance. He will be here next week visiting Boston for a conference. He is 81, had a hip replacement a yr ago & says 'wheelchair at the airport, not needed'. Both his wife & I are chewing our fingernails.

What a guy!

Finally got up the courage to look at this link! Christmas - to me its a time to graciously accept stuff I can't use and to deliver the same. Our family all the kids are grown (DH and I do not have our own, at least, them's that's not furred feathered or scaled). So this year, I sent the family a note that if they had planned on getting me anything, to send the money to some charities I had chosen and listed for them, because I truly don't need anything else to stash somewhere for a perhaps-future-one-time-use. It will make me FEEL better to have less stuff, and that the charities will get monies to continue their jobs. My picks we: The Wounded Warrior Project; The Elephant Sanctuary in Tenn.; The Flying Elephant Foundation (arts); Welcome Home Sanctuary Inc.; Wildlife Defense Fund's Action Fund. So we'll set up the tree because DH can't do XMas without it, and that's that. We'll have a nice cozy dinner just us and the furkids. As for others' presents, I buy all year long. What ain't done by Thanksgiving ain't gettin' done! :-))

Me too, Morrison, I've been kind of dreading this thread. We've been getting poorer every year, or at least, our income is the same but everything else costs more or needs to be replaced or fixed or whatever. Christmas last year was a total bust -- I felt like Scrooge, Grinch and Oscar the Grouch rolled into one afterward. My kids were 13 and 17, and by that age my siblings and I were slipping stuff into my mother's stocking. DH has this thing where he HATES it if I buy presents for myself, or for the kids to give me, or for him to give me. So last year I didn't do anything for myself from myself, you know? Or for myself "from Santa". And guess what? My stocking had nothing but candy in it. I got no presents at all.

So THIS year, new rules. I'm giving each member of our little family $100 to spend on Christmas. Everyone is getting little gifts to fill the stockings, that is, each of is getting a little gift for each other member for the stockings, and Santa's providing the candy. The $100 must be used towards Christmas gifts for the four of us and for Grandma and DSM and DF. Hopefully I will still feel human on December 26, 2008.

Morrigan, donating to charities in your name for Christmas is a great idea. I know what you mean about getting stuff that you don't need.

Karen

Carrie, did your dh make up for it after Christmas? Mine would have been buried in the backyard.
I've gotten a couple catalogs where you can buy a cow or pig or chicken for a village in honor of someone I thought was a real cool idea.

My mom's 83 and doesn't really need anything since she lives with my sis so I always send her some sugar free treats.

Jen, that does sound like a cool idea. Donating to food pantries would be good, too. They are in great need these days. I volunteer at a local one here.

Karen

No. It's the kids I'm really mad at. If they say "Mom, can we have some $$ to go Christmas shopping?" they'd get it. They got a gift (sorta via me) for their non-custodial father and his wife. DH doesn't make much, he's going to school FT, he's paying alimony, and he doesn't believe in "token" gifts. I would be thrilled with AN amaryllis bulb, but it wouldn't feel like a gift unless he bought me a rose garden. But nothing is not an alternative!

one year when i was between jobs at this time of year i made slate xmass trees (red and blue/gray) in different sizes. they were really nice with chipped edges to look like fur trees. drilled holes and used red ribbon so they could be hung as ornaments or on the wall.
Everyone got one.
You should have seen some of the faces - they thought i was a cheap sob. i explained they were hand made by me and i was sucking slate dust from the jig saw i used to cut them up before going at them with a chisel. told them every year that they took them out to hang they could think of me making them. i learned then it was all about how much $$ you spent.
I made a bunch of these and have 10+ I kept for myself, some only for christmas that i glued , some are on my home office wall - sort of a slate christmas tree forest

The slate trees sound facinating. When kids are young they go back to school & 'friends' want to know about their Christmas presents--if those kids don't approve or are jealous, they can really cause trouble. Children have to be prepared to face that. Right now I still want that office chair. This high hard kitchen one is painful. Last yr. DH bought me a new folding garden kneeler (the old one broke) I used it happily all garden season.

The slate trees sound cool, Bill. Any photos?

I agree, they sound great. Just up our alley. We appreciate the time and effort people put into making a gift.
The money issue is why we just want to spend time with the kids and grands this year at the place out in Lancaster. I think it would end up being cheaper.

Bill, that's too bad your family didn't appreciate the slate trees and were not a little more understanding of your low money situation at the time. I hope they are a little more appreciative now. I would like to see a picture of those slate trees, too.

Karen

Not only would I like to to a photo, I'd like to buy one!

I love hand made gifts too.

Anyone else have trouble shopping for men, of the non gardening type? I'm always searching for ideas.

Power tools.

Are there any new ones out there?

There are always new ones.

LOL!, Good one, Victor.

Karen

I would love a slate christmas tree.... if someone gave me something from the heart like that it's even better

I agree, Allison. Too many people put so little thought into what they are giving as gifts, though some people can't be pleased no matter what they get.

Karen

Gifts for men....it depends on who you're buying for and what hobbies they have. Hubby is ALWAYS happy with a home depot gift card.

I usually give the HD gift cards, too. That way the guys can get what they really want. For some of the gals, it's a gift card to Michael's.

Michael's is one of my favorite stores. I made out at their after Halloween sale everything harvest/halloween was 50-75% off.

As I sideline to this thread I started this one...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/923750/

the trees are pretty easy to make. i saw them in some catalog for $50 ans said i can make that. So i made three or four hand sketchs on card board until they looked right. then just cut out a template. went to home depot bought some slate. and made them. I make three different sizes. there are big ones still packed away that i made up to look like decorated christmas trees after a visit to a craft store and getting the handy glue gun.

this is a small one.

a blue one with some red veins

and the little forest in my office around a sunset in Nepal. the large one is the ones that get decorated. you can get the slate in different thicknesses and it is easy to cut - have extra jig saw blades though - i went through a bunch - and if there is a vein of granite let the blade do the work . chip the edges with a chisel for texture and sand down the sides.

my sister was the only one to like these - she even took the one i gave my nephew.. she hangs them up every year.

I think they're great, Bill! Do you hang any on your tree?

thx - i do too. real easy to make after you get the templet done. decorating them would be a good project for little kids.

the little ones go on the tree - i have two sets of decorated large ones - two thin slate hang inside from window locks and the other thick ones are outside on either side of the front door.

Very nice Bill!

Clever you. I guess you just can't get enough time playing with stones. I think they are beautiful. Patti

Nice job, I love handmade things.

Bill

They are beautiful. I'm so impressed and touched by hand-made gifts. If you ever think of selling some off, just let me know.

thanks all - Candyce i've left enough info above they really are pretty easy to make - go for it.