Wrapping presents when you already know what they are? Help me understand?

[Jenny in Florida]

I've seen many mentions in various threads over the last few weeks of the fact that some folks apparently buy their own presents or help to pick them out, but then wrap those presents and open them on Christmas moring.

 

I'm going to have to admit I just don't get this at all.

 

Not being a big "gift person," myself, I can absolutely understand either skipping gifts or using the money that would have been spent on surprise gifts to buy something you know you want, instead. "Honey, I don't really want a lot of little things this Christmas. How about if we agree to buy a big-screen TV and call that our present to ourselves?"

 

In fact, many years I've wished I could talk my husband into such an arrangement.

 

What I guess I don't understand is the idea that one person would go out,but stuff for herself (or himself), bring home those items, wrap them, wait a week or a month until Christmas morning and then open them like she doesn't know what the packages contain. Or telling kids they have a budget of a certain amount of money and should pick out what they want, then buying the exact items the child requested before wrapping them and putting them under the tree so that said child (who already knows what he or she is getting) can open them later.

 

I promise I'm not being snarky or "judgy" (as the kids say). I just cannot wrap my brain around the point of what looks from the outside like a charade. If you do gifts this way, can you please explain to me why and when you started doing this?

 

Thanks.

[i.love.lucy]

My husband is quite terrible at shopping and gifting. He doesn't think it through, waits until the last minute, has terrible ideas, etc. This year around Thanksgiving I found myself a purse I wanted, then I found the perfect sweater, both while out shopping for other people. I ABSOLUTELY knew I could not trust my husband to go find these items. He would have waited until yesterday, then they wouldn't have had them, so he would have grabbed something else. I didn't want something else. So I got them and thought maybe I could use them as a gift for me if he didn't have something else.

 

Then he lost his job on the 9th and all potential spending stopped. I'm glad I bought those things or I wouldn't have had anything, which I suppose is fine too. As it is my kids were so upset that I didn't have anything in my stocking. If I had not wrapped up those things for under the tree and pretended I didn't know what they were, then my kids would have been more worried and upset that I didn't get anything. I don't know, maybe I'm making too much out of that.

 

The other thing is, that I really REALLY wanted that purse. So having to wait for a month for it makes me appreciate it even more!!:D

 

I'm the gifter in the family. I thought of some really great items for my family that they didn't know they had to have until they have them now. Do I wish someone would do that for me? Sure, maybe someday my kids will do that for me. But I am very much over waiting for dh to do it. It's not his area and I can't be disappointed any more. If I want to join in on the fun of opening a few presents on Christmas, I better handle it myself.

[AK_Mom4]

Because it stinks to sit and watch everyone else unwrapping presents and oohing and ahhing over each one when you don't have a single gift under the tree. Not even one - because you are the only gift-buyer in the family.

 

It's better to buy your own and have SOMETHING to unwrap along with everyone else than it is to sit there with nothing every year.

[Night Elf]

It's fun to unwrap gifts as a group. If I shop by lists, then the kids know what they are getting. Should I not wrap them then? The kids unwrap gifts and they expect that mom & dad will unwrap gifts as well. It's not a matter of pretending like we don't know what is in them, but more of the idea that we can't have them until Christmas day. It just looks nicer to bring the gifts out wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper rather than stuck in Walmart bags.

[TechWife]

It's fun to unwrap gifts as a group. If I shop by lists, then the kids know what they are getting. Should I not wrap them then? The kids unwrap gifts and they expect that mom & dad will unwrap gifts as well. It's not a matter of pretending like we don't know what is in them, but more of the idea that we can't have them until Christmas day. It just looks nicer to bring the gifts out wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper rather than stuck in Walmart bags.

 

:iagree: - This is the first year I have known exactly what dh was getting for me, as he needed my input & I needed to test something out. But, he still made me wait until Christmas to play with my gifts - the wrapping just ups the anticipation factor!

[The Girls' Mom]

It's fun to unwrap gifts as a group. If I shop by lists, then the kids know what they are getting. Should I not wrap them then? The kids unwrap gifts and they expect that mom & dad will unwrap gifts as well. It's not a matter of pretending like we don't know what is in them, but more of the idea that we can't have them until Christmas day. It just looks nicer to bring the gifts out wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper rather than stuck in Walmart bags.

 

 

This. My kids knew exactly what they were getting this year. They each wanted a fairly big ticket item, and they knew that would be it. But, yes, they had to stare at those wrapped boxes for a month...:tongue_smilie:

[joannqn]

Because even though they don't provide a lot of input, my kids (well my daughter at least) get upset if I don't have anything for Christmas.

[DawnM]

It is fun to fill up the tree with lots of pretty wrapped gifts and have the kids sift through to find theirs!

[sewingmama]

Because it's a Christmas gift.

 

I wanted a Kindle this year but it's not something I would normally buy because money is always put to other things other then luxeries. The only reason I got the Kindle was because it was Christmas KWIM.

 

I knew what I was getting because I asked for it - DH has no clue what to get me and I hate when he wastes money buying things I don't want so I pick things out myself.

 

I don't care about the suprise -I would rather have something I want then a big pink straw sunhat (yes he got me that one year, it was UGLY LOL).

 

The fun and anticiapation comes from having to wait till Christmas to use the item.

 

My kids wrote out a wishlist (or rather told me what they wanted). I got the exact items they wanted but they didn't know I got them so it was still a suprise -nothing is sure till Santa comes. Plus even if your kids do know for sure what they are getting it's a good lesson on learning to wait for things you want instead of always having instant gratification.

 

If you have a DH that doesn't buy you any gifts or have kids that are too young to gift shop on their own I think it teaches the kids a bad lesson if they get gifts and Mum sits around and gets nothing. They learn that Mum is not as important as the rest of the family and it is OK not to get her anything.

 

I took my kids out shopping to choose gifts for me so they can learn to give. So what if I already know what they are -my kids get a giant thrill out of watching me unwrap the things they "bought" me on Christmas morning and yes I pretend to act suprised because they love "suprising" me.

Edited December 26, 2011 by sewingmama

[laundrycrisis]

This year, our 6 yo told us what he wanted (a big thing he has been asking for for over a year now), watched me order it, picked out the paper, helped wrap it, picked out the gift tag, stuck it on himself, and put the gift under the tree while saying "I will act so surprised on Christmas morning !" And he did ! :lol:

[Pink Fairy]

I don't care about the opening process for myself, but my family does. So I go along to get along, even though I do 99% of the shopping--including mine--and nothing is a surprise. ;)

[Jenny in Florida]

If I shop by lists, then the kids know what they are getting. Should I not wrap them then?

 

Well, I'll confess I don't really understand the list thing, either. Even when we buy for angel tree kids, we aim to include at least one or two small items that we think, based on the list we are given, the child will like but that aren't actually on the list. We like to imagine the child being happily surprised.

 

(Yes, I know not every item we buy necessarily goes to the child on our tag. I understand and support the reality that agencies sometimes have to spread things around a bit to ensure everyone gets something. That's why I said we "like to imagine.")

 

Again, I'm not at all saying that it's weird or wrong or anything negative at all to do things the way you all are explaining. If it works for you all, that's wonderful. I'm just trying to understand why it's fun or interesting to open a package when you know with 100% certainty what's inside.

Edited December 26, 2011 by Jenny in Florida

[ThisIsTheDay]

If you do gifts this way, can you please explain to me why and when you started doing this?

Thanks.

 

Because dh is really crappy at being a gracious receiver. He's not good about saying what he wants, and he's often critical of whatever is received. (Yeah, I'm a little annoyed.) At any time in the year, he ends up returning half the stuff he buys. You can imagine what it's like when it's something he doesn't choose to begin with.

 

So he sees something in December and will buy it and then give it to us to wrap. I insist on it, because I think he should at least go through the motions, even though my kids (both teens) know that he knows. It'd be uncomfortable on Christmas morning if everyone were sitting there with their gifts, and he had the one or two things I bought him on my own (underwear is usually safe).:glare:

[Pink Fairy]

Because dh is really crappy at being a gracious receiver. He's not good about saying what he wants, and he's often critical of whatever is received. (Yeah, I'm a little annoyed.) At any time in the year, he ends up returning half the stuff he buys. You can imagine what it's like when it's something he doesn't choose to begin with.

 

So he sees something in December and will buy it and then give it to us to wrap. I insist on it, because I think he should at least go through the motions, even though my kids (both teens) know that he knows. It'd be uncomfortable on Christmas morning if everyone were sitting there with their gifts, and he had the one or two things I bought him on my own (underwear is usually safe).:glare:

 

My fil is like that. :glare: It's annoying. I remember when his wife bought him a $60 wallet in burgundy leather, and since he preferred black he gave it to my dh and went and bought his own in the proper color. Shopping for him is nerve wracking, to say the least.

[elegantlion]

My dad loves Christmas. He used to give us money to buy our own gifts and then we'd wrap them. It was fun to show everybody (usually just immediate family of four) what we got. My dad enjoys seeing people unwrap gifts. Even this year he gave me money to buy my own stuff. He asked what I bought, so I showed him, although I didn't wrap them this year.

 

I'll admit I was pondering the long term cultural aspect of holiday gift giving today. I am a gifts person, but who knows in 500 years it may seem odd to give gifts on a holiday, or wrap gifts to yourself.

 

To us it's not a charade though, it's part of the tradition. I'm pretty sure ds knew exactly what he was getting. He had 3 things on his list, 3 presents under the tree. He was still overjoyed unwrapping them though.

 

In our case lists are necessary because we don't really NEED anything. Lists are to make sure our preferences are met. This year our coffee pot died one day before my dh's birthday. He had just started back to work and going without a coffee pot in our house is not going to happen. Well my parents came through and brought him a nice one all wrapped up for his gift. I'm glad it didn't die two days later. :lol:

[Jenny in Florida]

Do I wish someone would do that for me? Sure, maybe someday my kids will do that for me. But I am very much over waiting for dh to do it. It's not his area and I can't be disappointed any more. If I want to join in on the fun of opening a few presents on Christmas, I better handle it myself.

 

I understand that some folks care about and are better at the whole gift thing than others. In our family, my husband is the gifted giver, and he's also the one who cares most deeply about receiving gifts. I'll admit that I've tried floating the idea of just shopping for ourselves or planning a large purchase together as a gift for both of us, because I find the whole process of finding/making/giving gifts for him extremely stressful. He won't go along, though, because, to him, "That's not a present." So, I forge ahead. I rarely get it right, and I hate disappointing him. There were a few years when the pressure and stress of this drained all of my enjoyment out of the holiday.

 

So, I get that, if you care about getting stuff and you happen to have a significant other who isn't good at giving, the most logical thing is to buy things for yourself.

 

I even understand (although don't relate to terribly much) the desire to have presents under the tree for oneself.

 

But, for me, I wouldn't have fun opening presents I bought and wrapped for myself.

 

I guess, to some degree, I can understand wanting to obscure the issue in front of young children. But, in my house, one couldn't pull off such a deception without being very intentional about it. Maybe other kids just don't notice as much?

 

Again, I want to make sure I say frequently that I don't see anything "wrong" with this approach (except maybe the deception that would be necessary in my house with my kids to make it work). If it makes you happy and doesn't bother the rest of the family, of course it makes sense to go for it! I promise I just would like to understand it better.

Edited December 26, 2011 by Jenny in Florida

[Parrothead]

I did it one year, wrapped my own Christmas presents, and won't do it again. It was just sad.

[NotSoObvious]

Because Santa has to bring me something or my kids would be suspicious and/or sad for me.

Really, that's it. We usually do decide on something big for us and just get it, but this year we are going on a trip, so we decided to save the money and just do stockings for each other.

I rarely wrap something I buy for myself, but that's because I'm lucky enough to have a husband who will buy me something. I almost always know what I'm getting because, let's be honest, I'm the mom.

[i.love.lucy]

So, I get that, if you care about getting stuff and you happen to have a significant other who isn't good at giving, the most logical thing is to buy things for yourself.

 

I even understand (although don't relate to terribly much) the desire to have presents under the tree for oneself.

 

But, for me, I wouldn't have fun opening presents I bought and wrapped for myself.

 

I guess, to some degree, I can understand wanting to obscure the issue in front of young children. But, in my house, one couldn't pull off such a deception without being very intentional about it. Maybe other kids just don't notice as much?

 

Again, I want to make sure I say frequently that I don't see anything "wrong" with this approach (except maybe the deception that would be necessary in my house with my kids to make it work). If it makes you happy and doesn't bother the rest of the family, of course it makes sense to go for it! I promise I just would like to understand it better.

well, my kids are younger than yours. Dd did approach me later and questioned when dh had shopped and where etc. so I was honest and teased that you never let a man buy a purse for you. ;). It honestly wasn't all that fun to open packages that I had shopped for and wrapped myself. But with losing his job the first of the month and being worried and depresssed I just let it go this year.

 

I do like what a pp said about teaching the lesson that we are the least important people in the house, and I don't want to do that. This coming year dd is old enough to help and encourage her dad in the gifting dept, a job she'd happily embrace.

[sewingmama]

I'm curious what you think people should do if they have no spouse and are single parents.

 

My mum raised us as a single parent - I remember when she told me she was so excited when we were old enough to go out and buy her a gift on our own. Previous to that when we were young she either never got a gift from anyone (no family nearby) or she bought and wrapped it herself.

 

Should single people just go without gifts on Christmas just because it won't be a suprise.

[DarlaS]

I don't care about the opening process for myself, but my family does. So I go along to get along, even though I do 99% of the shopping--including mine--and nothing is a surprise. ;)

 

:iagree:

 

And it's nice after the effort I put into making the holidays nice for others, to get a couple things I want and can actually use. Almost everything else was for the kitchen. Reasonably nice things--but household goods I would have bought if we needed it anyway.

[Caitilin]

Because it stinks to sit and watch everyone else unwrapping presents and oohing and ahhing over each one when you don't have a single gift under the tree. Not even one - because you are the only gift-buyer in the family.

 

It's better to buy your own and have SOMETHING to unwrap along with everyone else than it is to sit there with nothing every year.

 

This, exactly. It is hard, especially if you like to give and receive gifts, to receive nothing on Christmas morning.

[Krista in LA]

Because it stinks to sit and watch everyone else unwrapping presents and oohing and ahhing over each one when you don't have a single gift under the tree. Not even one - because you are the only gift-buyer in the family.

 

It's better to buy your own and have SOMETHING to unwrap along with everyone else than it is to sit there with nothing every year.

 

:iagree: Yep, or the only gifts under the tree for you are things that you explicitly stated you didn't want but they decided to get them for you anyway and you have to act appreciative while inside it really hurts. Not that it ever happens to me.....

[Farrar]

My mother used to do this with our presents when we were little. She'd take us shopping and we'd pick out clothes then she'd wrap them for Christmas. Like others said, it's just fun to unwrap things together in a group.

 

This year, my mother and I spent a weekend crafting and I found an old pin that had belonged to my grandmother who died many years ago. I took the pin backing off, attached a chain to turn it into a necklace and wrapped it up as a present from her. It looks nice. :)

[Pink Fairy]

I understand that some folks care about and are better at the whole gift thing than others. In our family, my husband is the gifted giver, and he's also the one who cares most deeply about receiving gifts. I'll admit that I've tried floating the idea of just shopping for ourselves or planning a large purchase together as a gift for both of us, because I find the whole process of finding/making/giving gifts for him extremely stressful. He won't go along, though, because, to him, "That's not a present." So, I forge ahead. I rarely get it right, and I hate disappointing him. There were a few years when the pressure and stress of this drained all of my enjoyment out of the holiday.

 

So, I get that, if you care about getting stuff and you happen to have a significant other who isn't good at giving, the most logical thing is to buy things for yourself.

 

I even understand (although don't relate to terribly much) the desire to have presents under the tree for oneself.

 

But, for me, I wouldn't have fun opening presents I bought and wrapped for myself.

 

I guess, to some degree, I can understand wanting to obscure the issue in front of young children. But, in my house, one couldn't pull off such a deception without being very intentional about it. Maybe other kids just don't notice as much?

 

Again, I want to make sure I say frequently that I don't see anything "wrong" with this approach (except maybe the deception that would be necessary in my house with my kids to make it work). If it makes you happy and doesn't bother the rest of the family, of course it makes sense to go for it! I promise I just would like to understand it better.

 

I guess I should have mentioned that there's no deception at our house. My kids know I know, they just don't care. Maybe it's because they usually don't know what my presents are, so that makes it fun? Shrug. I really don't see it as a big mystery. They enjoy it, and I like making them happy. Everybody wins.

[Homemama2]

This is the first year I've done that. I picked out a set of pans and ended up wrapping them myself because dh didn't get around to it. My kids would be very upset if dh or I didn't have something to open on Christmas. They didn't seem to care that I knew ahead of time....but they did care that I didn't have anything under the tree!!

[Night Elf]

Well, I'll confess I don't really understand the list thing, either.

 

Fair play then. I don't understand why someone wouldn't want to know what someone else might want as a gift. I wouldn't find a great deal of joy in having to buy all surprise gifts for my DH and my children. I'd spend way too much time stressing out because they might not like it. I would rather buy a $25 item that I know they want and will use then a $25 item that will sit on the closet floor and never be touched. Gosh, just the thought of doing any gift giving holiday that way makes my stomach flip-flop. Honestly. I would feel horrible if my gift was a 'fail'.

 

FWIW, as a child, I was taught to always be polite when I got gifts I didn't like. But frankly, I have never played with, used, or worn things I didn't like. I don't like the idea of spending money on something that won't be liked or used.

[Night Elf]

I guess I should have mentioned that there's no deception at our house. My kids know I know, they just don't care. Maybe it's because they usually don't know what my presents are, so that makes it fun? Shrug. I really don't see it as a big mystery. They enjoy it, and I like making them happy. Everybody wins.

 

My kids don't see anything wrong with me and DH picking out our own gifts either. There is no deception in our home about it. I guess the only deception I can see is if the parents tell the kids that the adult presents are from Santa. And if the Santa thing is happening, that's a deception in its own way. But no, Santa never brought gifts to adults in our home.

 

FWIW, DH and I tell each other what to get but we don't wrap our own gifts. I knew I was getting 2 computer games and a 1 music cd and it was still fun to unwrap them. My big gift was a beautiful ring that I picked out myself. I did not wrap it because I've been wearing it since I bought it over a week ago. :tongue_smilie: There is simply NO way that DH would have picked out what I had in mind. This type of gift is too expensive to leave to chance. Mercy me! I have a lovely pair of earrings that my DH got me for my birthday a couple of years ago. I've worn them once. They feel heavy in my ears and the size is just a bit large for my tastes. But I didn't want to tell him I didn't like them. So they just sit in the drawer. Maybe one of my girls will like them some day.

[Amy in NH]

kids were so upset that I didn't have anything in my stocking. If I had not wrapped up those things for under the tree and pretended I didn't know what they were, then my kids would have been more worried and upset that I didn't get anything...

 

If I want to join in on the fun of opening a few presents on Christmas, I better handle it myself.

 

:iagree:

[KidsHappen]

Fair play then. I don't understand why someone wouldn't want to know what someone else might want as a gift. I wouldn't find a great deal of joy in having to buy all surprise gifts for my DH and my children. I'd spend way too much time stressing out because they might not like it. I would rather buy a $25 item that I know they want and will use then a $25 item that will sit on the closet floor and never be touched. Gosh, just the thought of doing any gift giving holiday that way makes my stomach flip-flop. Honestly. I would feel horrible if my gift was a 'fail'.

 

FWIW, as a child, I was taught to always be polite when I got gifts I didn't like. But frankly, I have never played with, used, or worn things I didn't like. I don't like the idea of spending money on something that won't be liked or used.

 

Yes, I give my children a blank list to fill out. We do the something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. I have a lot of children and not a lot of money. I hate shopping and gift giving, hate it with a passion. I really want my children to get things that they really want and will use so that I feel I have spent my money wisely. If I had to shop without any guidelines it would stress me out. Knowing exactly what they want relieves a lot of pressure for me and the kids seem to be very happy knowing that they will get the things that they really want.

 

For instance, this year our cell phone contract ended and we changed to a new company. New phones for everyone. They each picked the one they wanted. Yeah, I could have tried to get them what I thought they would want but I am not as up on technology as they are so I would probably fail.

 

Their something to wear and something to read are always pjs and books. I would hate to buy them a book they weren't interested in and deprive them of the joy of reading a book that they are eagerly antipating. They do know that they get pjs but they don't usually pick those. I put a ridiculous amount of time in trying to pick just the perfect pjs for each person. The something they needed this year was shoes. While I supposed that you could pick just any old shoes for a person, I can pretty much guarantee that they won't still be wearing them two years later if they aren't the perfect shoes.

 

I personally am not a gift person and the only thing worse than no gift at all is knowing that someone spent time and money on me for something that I wouldn't absolutely love. My family knows this. I have an Amazon wish list and I always love pjs and socks. This makes it really easy for people to shop for me and they get to exercise their creativity in picking the items for me. This year I got grinch socks, eeyore pjs and a baseball cap that says "Mamma Mia" plus items from my Amazon wish list. I love all of them and my children are happy that I do.

[KrissiK]

Because it stinks to sit and watch everyone else unwrapping presents and oohing and ahhing over each one when you don't have a single gift under the tree. Not even one - because you are the only gift-buyer in the family.

 

It's better to buy your own and have SOMETHING to unwrap along with everyone else than it is to sit there with nothing every year.

 

:iagree: This may be one reason. DH and I bought ourselves an iPad this year for our Christmas present and he picked out a computer monitor as a gift from my mom. Both were wrapped. It's just more fun that way. No real profound reason. Makes it seem more Christmas-y to me!

[LBS]

I buy exactly what I want when I see it. I order used books off Amazon. I chunk it all in a bag or box, and give it to my husband. He pulls it out, at some point, and the kids divy up what they'll each give me and wrap it, and we go thru a fun time. I buy great presents for husband, and the kids pick out what they want to wrap for him.....sometimes we pick out stuff for him, if we get to go shopping together. I'd rather get what I want, than a wrong surprise....I'm selfish and money is so tight, and, well, its my present so its about me. I've admired items when out shopping before and kids got it, but, it was a lot of effort. When they're grown they can buy me stuff on their own. I spend a month buying mil's gifts, and consult with her, and chat about what color, how much, so she enjoys the experience and knows all the lead-in, but she just can't get the stuff anymore.

[ThisIsTheDay]

But, for me, I wouldn't have fun opening presents I bought and wrapped for myself.

 

I guess, to some degree, I can understand wanting to obscure the issue in front of young children. But, in my house, one couldn't pull off such a deception without being very intentional about it. Maybe other kids just don't notice as much?

 

I don't know that anyone finds it fun. It's not about deception. We all want to have what we consider to be a "normal" Christmas. The gift-getter (sorry, it's early) already knows, the kids may already know that the parent knows, but it's preferable to having one person sit there with really nothing to open. I refuse to let another's attitude that would otherwise spoil Christmas, spoil Christmas.:001_smile:

[Hunter's Moon]

I did this last year and this year. I get money from my Uncle usually a few days before Christmas, so I go to the Dollar Store and Christmas shop for everyone. My parents usually don't have enough to buy Christmas presents, so I pick up a few things I like there myself and stuff my stocking/wrap them so I can have something to open on Christmas morning.

 

It isn't about the surprise. Well, it used to be. But, now it is more "I want to feel like it did when I was younger and Christmas was a big deal". I spend Christmas Eve at my friends' house and their family opens gifts then. So, it isn't all that fun to sit there watching everyone unwrap gifts they've been wishing for, and then go home and have no gifts to open. Of course, I get a gift or two from them, so it isn't like I get no surprises.

 

I don't celebrate Christmas religiously, so it is more about making Christmas feel like it used to.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

yeah hubby always wraps my stuff...this year I knew he was getting me the keurig mini--he wrapped it and the kcup thing....crazy...

[Jenny in Florida]

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I can't say I "relate," but I do feel like I understand a little bit more why folks handle gifts this way.

 

I appreciate everyone sharing.

[Kari C in SC]

I understand why people are doing it. My situation is similar. I have given up expecting my dh to get me what I would really want, so I do buy for myself. I don't wrap the gifts though. My dh buys me a couple really small things and I open them on Christmas morning. This year - before Christmas - I bought myself a camera because mine broke, a sweater I had been wanting and some picture frames. On Christmas day, my dh gave me a small frame I hinted I liked, a container of Starbucks hot chocolate and a candy bar (has special meaning). So, it is the best of both worlds - I think. No pressure on him to pick that perfect gift, but I still get to open some gifts with the family.

[Dustybug]

Jenny,

 

I will stand out and say that I agree with you. I just don't get it, but to each their own.

 

My mom was a single mother and she never bought her own gifts. When we were small, I remember drawing pictures or making things for her in school that I wrapped for her. When I was old enough, I purchased her things.

 

For our children, DH will take the out one day and I will take them out another and let them get something for the other. Usually something small from the dollar store or less than $5 elsewhere. This year, we spent a bit more doing that, but he got a decent bonus from work.

 

As far as lists go, I don't have my kids do that either. For now, I know what they like and can purchase accordingly. If I do have a question, I will probably do like my mom did and ask about it in a non obvious way long before Christmas to get ideas.

 

If I knew what a gift was, I wouldn't want it wrapped. I like the surprises, even if sometimes it might not be exactly what I would have chosen, I'm a firm believer in the "it is the thought that counts."

[stephanier.1765]

One of my sons works at Best Buy and while he and I were there buying gifts for other people using his discount he pointed out something he'd really like to have for Christmas. I still needed something for him but that particular item would have put me over budget on his gifts but with his discount it would come in right on the dollar. So I gave him the cash and had him buy it for me.

 

He was still thrilled to open it Christmas morning and just like a little kid he was putting it together and getting it working while still in the midst of Christmas wrapping. Sometimes the anticipation is still just as great even if you know what's under all that paper.

[TravelingChris]

We liked the beauty of the wrapped gifts. Also, with me, I sometimes forget that I bought something months ago for Christmas so it is a surprise.