Let's start a thread about what NOT to buy!

[MissKNG]

Christmas Hits and Misses! Let's share what was good and what was not so hot!

(I can't change the title)

 

Now that Christmas is over and our dc have been using their newly acquired goodies...let's talk about what was a hit and a miss!

 

Our miss: Moon Dough

www.moondough.com

 

This stuff is a mess. It does feel neat when you squish it in your hands but it breaks off everywhere! There are pieces of Moon Dough all.over.the.floor. It is not allowed out of the kitchen!

 

Our hit: Legos!

 

My big girl played with her Legos (a big pink box of them) for 3 hours yesterday!

 

Anyone else?

Edited December 26, 2010 by MissKNG
changing post a bit

[Tarreymere]

Hits: Legos, matchbox cars, wii Mariokart

 

Misses: complicated transformer toy that didn't fit together well

[Onceuponatime]

Big miss: Aqua sand.

 

Big sister got this for the 6yo. Talk about a mess! I put an old towel down under it and I had to prop up the "water park" so it wouldn't tip over. Clean up was a bear. 6yo likes it, I do not.

[Samiam]

Hit: Playmobile! The castle is amazing in it's detailing!

 

Knifty Knitter!! About half done with a hat, with only 2 hours of work yesterday! Should finish it today. Never knitted/crochet a hat in my life and scarf would take me 2-3 months, with many a mistake!

 

Miss: Haven't had any yet, but of course, DS were less than thrilled with any clothing, to be expected.

[kalanamak]

Hit: Perplexus

Miss: the As Seen On TV meat knife my vegetarian husband gave vegetarian me.

 

My favorite: the "vintage" Italian-made tree topper bauble that matches my other baubles and looks just like the one from my childhood. Kiddo spotted it in an antique store. He will go far.

[misidawnrn]

Big hits at our house were the musical instrument toys for the 2yo, the 2010 holiday Barbie for 6yo. DH got a program that goes in the Garmin GPS thing that tells where land boundries are for hunting...loved it. I got a big screen flat TV for watching Netflix on with the girls and the whole family loves it, although DH got the wrong cord to hook the computer to it.

 

Big misses...only one...DH's family plays Chinese Santa and you pick a number and then in turn pick a gift or steal a gift from someone who already picked. I picked a gift and it was 4 boxes of cereal!!!!:glare: Other gifts were stuff like a Wolfgang Puck knife block and lots of hunting knives, blankets, a crock pot etc... Needless to say, nobody stole my gift. It's kind of rotten to bring something like cereal when other people are bringing nice things...but oh well. I was a good sport. We will eat it.

[Truscifi]

Hit: Lego creator set and sunglasses with dh's favorite football team's logo on the leg

 

Miss: an e-reader case (we don't have an e-reader) :001_huh:

[RoughCollie]

Miss: Nerf-style gun. It did not shoot. DS1 took it apart. Five teenage boys each were sure they could make it work. They failed. Lesson learned (I hope) is that Quality Counts.

 

Misses: All clothing given to my boys. They think of clothing as a necessity, not a gift, and they already had enough clothes. Ungrateful wretches.

 

Miss: The kids aren't thrilled, but I am -- my sister gave them a Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System, with brushes for all. DD has porcelain, perfect skin. The boys need it, however much they would have rather had an X-Box (I talked her out of giving them that, but they don't know it.)

 

Unknown: Stereo rack for DH. He didn't seem thrilled with it, but that may change once DS1 puts it together and we place DH's stereo equipment on the shelves.

 

My Personal Misses: Trash can that opens when a hand or dog snout parks in front of the sensor; GPS w/lifetime maps (I already have a GPS), huge box of hand warmers. The giver's point was to lessen germ transference, to make sure DH has a GPS (he refuses to use one), and to keep us warm. So -- great intentions, but to my frugal self, a waste of money.

Edited December 26, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Jen500]

My Personal Misses: Trash can that opens when a hand or dog snout parks in front of the sensor

 

Sorry, but this just cracks me up! My dog would loooove this! :lol:

[i.love.lucy]

Hits: I got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer as a big surprise. It was fun for me to finally be surprised for once! Hits for the kids include Playmobil pyramid, Knifty knitter, fashion design toy for dd, DS games for ds. Actually I can't think of any misses. Maybe the Keurig brewer we got for MIL. She looked a little confused at having to change the way she makes coffee and the brand she uses. Maybe she'll decide she doesn't like it and give it to me!:D

[RoughCollie]

Sorry, but this just cracks me up! My dog would loooove this! :lol:

 

Yes, Teddy thinks it is a real time and labor saver. He was so amazed by it! We are going to put it in bathroom. It is upstairs, and Teddy both refuses to walk up an interior staircase and cannot climb anything due to his back problems.

 

Now DS1 wants to install hands-free faucets, a toilet that flushes itself, and one of those hand-dryer contraptions in the bathroom, too. We rent, so the answer is no. (Cost is not a factor because it is a bridge we don't have to cross.)

Edited December 26, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Michelle O. in MO]

Big Hit: Metal Construction Set by Erector 100th Anniv. Edition - both ds8 and dd11 have been immersed trying to build things for two days straight now. It comes with two motors and an electric screwdriver so the kids can make cars, tanks, helicopters, cranes, etc.

 

Miss: Unknown yet

[ProudGrandma]

hits: zibits, hot wheels trick tracks, $4 pocket knives and their very oen tool kit with REAL tools for my boys, knifty knitter, snuggly, audio books and fuzzy chair for my daughter...

 

misses: maybe battle strikers...but my boys haven't really had a chance to play with them yet..otherwise...everything seems pretty good

[Jen in PA]

Biggest hits: Hex bugs battle bridge habitat set, doll from Target that looks like a replica of DD, Marvel beginning reader book I grabbed for DS's stocking at the last minute.

 

No misses -- yet. There are lots of things they still haven't tried out yet. Although DD did manage to slice her knee open within 5 minutes of heading outside with her new sled, so maybe I ought to count that as a miss for now.....

 

The other big hit is the result of the decision DH and I came to. We wanted a game system, but didn't want to spend big money..... and we wanted something for streaming Netflix. DH didn't really want a Wii, which we thought was our most affordable option, the other systems that could be used for streaming were out of our price range. So we went into Gamestop on Christmas Eve, and they had refurbished PS2s for 50 bucks, with a one year warranty. DH had a PS2 a few years ago, and we had some games at home for it.... so we grabbed a bunch more games at buy-2-get-one-free, grabbed an extra controller and memory card, and came home to order a Roku player which will be delivered next week. The kids love the PS2, and all told we spent the same amount as we would have for just a Wii, but have a slew of games now. I can't wait for the Roku player!

[caitlinsmom]

Hits: Cowboy boots for the kids. Good grief you would have thought we gave them a million bucks! Mercy Watson book collection, puppets, hot chocolate......really we did not have a single miss. Everything was well recieved AND they even seemed thankful! ;) That was a great present right there!

[Denisemomof4]

everything was a hit here!!!!!:hurray: The *only* miss we had were black Levis for oldest ds.

[Supertechmom]

Hits: Cowboy boots for the kids. Good grief you would have thought we gave them a million bucks! .....!

 

We did that one year for on particular child. My hubby thought I was insane. I said just you wait and see. I don't think he took them off his feet for solid year. He wore them with pants, dress pants, shorts you name it!!!When he outgrew them ( I go them big on purpose!), I thought he was going to cry! Those boots were rode hard!

[parias1126]

Big Hit: Metal Construction Set by Erector 100th Anniv. Edition - both ds8 and dd11 have been immersed trying to build things for two days straight now. It comes with two motors and an electric screwdriver so the kids can make cars, tanks, helicopters, cranes, etc.

 

Miss: Unknown yet

 

Do you have a link for this? I need to start buying Birthday presents and my son would LOVE this!

[RainbowSprinkles]

Hits:

 

DD8 American Girl Dolls Felicity and Elizabeth (she got on from MIL and one from SIL), a little sewing project (a squirrel) she got from DS6, calico critters nursery set and bunny twins in carrriage

 

DS6 remote controlled car (from MIL) and playmobil warrior ship

 

DS1 kitchen with play food and a tricycle

 

Misses:

 

Honestly, I don't think there were any. I planned it all out very well this year :) They don't get very much from other people, except my two SILs and my MIL. Occasionally they get something from my dad.

 

The best part is we are still waiting on a few things from both SILs, so we get to open some more presents after Christmas :)

[KidsHappen]

Biggest hits was a knitted white elephant for our white elephant exchange. Everyone wanted that one. The closets thing to a miss was a silver locket that ended up with my dd but I think was meant for me.

[blakereese]

So far we have all hits here...Legos, Snap Circuits, globe, microscope, desks, squinkies for DD, lots of books.

 

How about a link for the Knifty Knitter kits you all have? I looked on amazon, and there are many choices. :bigear:

[dakarimom5]

Almost everything was a hit including the 3ft Tangled doll DD got that is almost as tall as she is!!

 

The one miss we had was we bought DS#3 a guitar..and he was much more excited about Play Doh!! I finally explained to DH that DS#3 wanted to spend time with him..not spend time learning how to play guitar. Now DH understands.

[kristavws]

Biggest hits: Hex bugs battle bridge habitat set,

 

Definitely the biggest hit here as well! My boys were so thrilled with their Hex Bug Habitat set that they are using gift cards they received from my bil to purchase the battle bridge habitat set. My boys were also excited about the footed PJs they received - they LOVE footed PJs.

 

No misses here so far!

 

Krista

Edited December 26, 2010 by kristavws

[lynn]

Hits: 18" madame alexander forever friends doll, doll bunk bed, salon chair for doll and a hair styling set, legos, knex, loopz, matching outfit and pajama set for doll, hot wheels mini r/c

 

Misses: sadly lite brite. I was so excited to give it to dd but what an awful redesign. The pieces go everywhere when you have to force open the case for the little plastic light bits.

[phathui5]

My oldest loved his Game Stop gift card and the Star Wars calendar. The Robot Wars building set from Barnes & Noble has been a pain in the... you have to glue tiny paper pieces together and wait for it to dry.

 

Delilah loved the "paint your own tea set" kit that her brother picked out for her. She painted it yesterday and not it's in her room.

 

James' favorite thing seems to be the stuffed Mario toy. He's been carrying it around since yesterday morning.

 

Ben loves his Leapfrog fridge phonics thing.

 

Misses: sadly lite brite. I was so excited to give it to dd but what an awful redesign. The pieces go everywhere when you have to force open the case for the little plastic light bits.

 

We had a "miss" with the Lite Brite we gave the kids a couple of years ago. There were always pieces everywhere.

[delaney]

Hit: DD got a cell phone

Miss: DS wanted an NFL digital camo sideline jacket and we could only get adult sizes so we got a small....it's huge!

[nukeswife]

Hits

 

For my sons it was their Playmobil castles (they got two different ones with dragons) and love them. My youngest also loves his Geotrax airport and my oldest can't wait to finish his current book so he can read the next in the series on his new Kindle.

 

For my dd it was here Playmobil school complete with cafeteria and gymnasium, she loves it as well as her new American Girl doll to keep her other one company.

 

Misses

Lego Buzz Lightyear (my son didn't ask for it but grandma thought it was a good idea) after my 5.5 year old saw it has 200 pieces he asked if he could return it for something for his Geotrax airport.

[Rivka]

I think everything was a hit! Even my in-laws, whose tastes are pretty different from ours, got things the kids love.

 

Biggest hit for my 5yo is a Nutcracker ballet fold-out theater with paper doll dancers. She went right to work making up new ballets.

 

Biggest hit for my 22mo is a toy his sister picked out for him. You put balls on the top and whack them with a mallet, and they roll through a course to the bottom.

Edited December 26, 2010 by Rivka

[specialmama]

Everything was a hit here! Except for the underwear we got my dh, but oh well, I'm chucking all the thread-bare ones so he needed them. :tongue_smilie:

[Murmer]

Hit: Soccer ball for my dd and the bracelet with all the grandkids names for my mom

 

Misses: 2 Tiana dolls for DD (she had already gotten a bitty baby)

[i.love.lucy]

We did that one year for on particular child. My hubby thought I was insane. I said just you wait and see. I don't think he took them off his feet for solid year. He wore them with pants, dress pants, shorts you name it!!!When he outgrew them ( I go them big on purpose!), I thought he was going to cry! Those boots were rode hard!

How can I forget the boots!? My dd got bright hot pink ones. Sadly they are way too big but we are heading out this afternoon to pick out my ds's and size them right for dd. I know they won't come off their feet until they outgrow them!

How about a link for the Knifty Knitter kits you all have? I looked on amazon, and there are many choices. :bigear:

I got the Darice 1171-58. Sorry I can't link,on my phone and haven't figured that out yet. Anyways I ordered it from amazon and picked that one for the colors for dd. You can find them at Michaela and Hobby Lobby too.

[Cinder]

Lots of hits here, too. We got a Wii this year, which surprised the kids because we'd always said they'd have to save up and buy any electronics they wanted. Dh was thrilled with an out-of-print cd he'd been wanting.

 

Probably the only misses were the Mexican music cd's dh gave the kids. He picked them up on a whim while in Mexico a couple days before Christmas.

[Cindyz]

We learned that linticular puzzles are no fun for us! We did complete it though. :D :D

[Belacqua]

We really didn't have any losers this year. I got some rose-scented soap that I'll probably not use, but my lovely brother-in-law had no way of knowing that I associate the scent of rose with the grouchy lady who lived next door to us when I was a kid.

 

The big winner was probably the AeroPress coffee maker. I was skeptical of claims that the coffee tastes better than from a French press, but I'm a convert.

[mama2cntrykids]

Hits: Legos, Calvin and Hobbes book (for my youngest ds), Princess Castle, Headbands for my dd (yes, she was thrilled lol), a "baby" you can put in the bathtub, a slim science kit, a camera my mom gave me, Spy Science (my youngest ds and his cousin played with it for HOURS yesterday) and Sorry Spin. There were a few more hits, I just can't think of them right now lol.

 

Misses: Bionoclers (sp?) that take pics (we can't get it to work right), a robot that you put together (way to complicated for my 10 y/o ds, even *with* my mom helping him. I think that's it for misses.

[Mom2J112903]

Everything was a hit for J! From his telescope to his science kits to his Snap Circuits to one of the best (in his mind) his Hot-Wheels Criss-Cross track that he had been asking for since Jan.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Hits

xbox/kinnect, magnetic earrings, snap circuit 750, cool sandals that I got at goodwill over the summer, ag doll

 

Misses

mmm, nope

[Joyofsixreboot]

Hits~Hot Wheels Trick Track set for ds and Rescue Pets Walk and Play dog for dd (I hate this toy).

 

Misses~color wonder books for the little girls

[LisainOhio]

It's all hits at my house this year.

 

Hubby and I decided to get a big family gift for us and got a new big screen flat tv, blu ray player and surround sound. We all love it!

 

My daughter loves every single thing. She opened things slowly, really looked at them at all and said "just what I wanted" about every item. American Girl doll Felicity, Lego City stuff, Loving Family dollhouse pieces, a set of Little House books, paper dolls, some clothes...didn't matter what..she was thrilled!

 

it's been a fabulous couple of days at my house and i'm so thankful!

[ereks mom]

The biggest hit for me was a camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7). The only miss we had was a gift for me. Poor MIL, she really tries, but she just misses so badly most years. This year, I asked for Fiestaware plates in to match the Fiestaware I already have. I printed out a list (WITH PICTURES) of the colors (warm colors: red, shamrock, sunflower, tangerine, and peacock). She gave me two plates that are cobalt blue--a really dark, cool blue. I smiled and said "thank you"; when SIL asked which colors I collect, I named them, and MIL just said, "I didn't like the colors on your list, so I got different ones." WHAT??? :confused: I guess I'll just exchange them.

 

Other than that, I think almost everything else was a hit.

Edited December 26, 2010 by ereks mom

[kalanamak]

We are going to put it in bathroom.

 

It has been banned from the BR after a couple of sleep-walking-to-the-jon episodes, with startling effects.

[ProudGrandma]

his Hot-Wheels Criss-Cross track that he had been asking for since Jan.

 

I looked at this one...but the reviews were less than favorable on Amazon...but you guys like it? This might have to be a birthday gift in July....hots wheels are loved by my guys here...

[justamouse]

 

My Personal Misses: Trash can that opens when a hand or dog snout parks in front of the sensor;

 

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Hits -

 

dd - horse for her AG doll, Apples to Apples Jr., Hello Kitty scrapbook

ds - remote control helicopter, logic t-shirt, Petra guitar book, headphones

dh - a silk vest that he'd been looking at but wasn't in his size - I was able to sneak back into the store and order him one in his size

me - a Von Trapp children CD that I really wanted.

 

Misses -

 

dd - none really

ds - I asked MIL for polo shirts for him and gave her his size. She got him dress button down shirts that are way too big even for dh.

[dsmith]

Ooh, that looks neat! I'll have to remember that for my coffee loving husband's birthday.

 

 

The big winner was probably the AeroPress coffee maker. I was skeptical of claims that the coffee tastes better than from a French press, but I'm a convert.

[RoughCollie]

It has been banned from the BR after a couple of sleep-walking-to-the-jon episodes, with startling effects.

 

Did it short out? Chop anything off? :D

[AnitaMcC]

Hits:

Ds#1... money (that was all he really wanted so he can buy computer parts to build a computer server), camel water pack, legos.

Dd..... MP3. She got a guitar amp a few weeks ago as an early gift (she needed it for a gig on the 18th) so that is a major hit-LOL.

Ds#2.... Dragon Ball Z Wii game,

Ds#3... just about everything he got... especially dry erase markers and the Super Mario snuggie.

Dh.... Hickory Farms Cheese pack.

 

Misses:

Ds#1... I think he would have prefered more money over any gifts-LOL. But he still enjoyed everything he got.

Dd.... nothing that I know of... although I think the stereo headphones didn't work with her home use guitar amp (think there is a loose jack connection in the amp). But it works just fine with the computer and her main guitar amp for her band.

Ds#2... He wasn't to thrilled with clothes he got. But the games and other stuff he was happy with.

Ds#3.... I bought him sleep pants instead of PJ set. Autism obsession that I didn't consider... I thought he would love the Spiderman sleep pants since he LOVES spiderman stuff... Oops my bad not realizing PJ's MUST include top and bottoms.

[AngieW in Texas]

12yo

HITS: Lego Taj Mahal, Lego Harry Potter game for Wii, Brother CS6000i sewing machine, light saber

not sure: used 32gb classic ipod - doesn't have some of the features she really liked on her nano, but her nano was only 2gb and it was full, she really wanted an itouch, but I couldn't swing that much

 

15yo

HITS: bunch of final fantasy games for the game systems we own, philosophy books

MISSES: puzzle globe (all the rest of us worked on it and finished it today, but it did require superglue because the pieces kept falling inside)

 

17yo

HITS: gloves, Orange box, camera, DSLite and games (they used to all share a single DS, but we got her one of her own since she'll be leaving for college)

MISSES: only in stocking stuffers - chocolate covered raisins (loves raisins, but not covered in chocolate), sun chips (used to like Harvest Cheddar, but not any more)

 

We always put some kind of candy, some type of cookie, some type of chip, and some type of game in the stockings. Then I just try to find things to fill them up the rest of the way.

[AnitaMcC]

Did it short out? Chop anything off? :D

 

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Momma H]

We had lots of hits here. I got some games (Bambino LUK and ZooLogic) that we may have to play a bit until they realize the hits that they are ;).

I would say the only real miss is the new Zingo number game. The old Zingo (I got it years ago) is really well made and the tiles are thick and smooth. Now it is CHEAP. Also, I figured there would be a side, or a set that is easier for little kids to play with but the numbers are pretty tough. One thing we got that is wonderful but we are having a crisis with is a mosaic set we got from Timberdoodle. My daughter spent like 3-4 hours on it and put it on the window with the sticky part to the window and it is stuck to the window. (they are gel tiles) She is pretty crushed right now. At least it is not ruined forever, she just has to redo most of it.:001_huh: Poor thing. We had a great Christmas though.