Jenny in Florida Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I like the idea, in theory, of doing all the holiday shopping and prep work early, but mostly I don't manage to do it. Part of it is that I'm not really a gift-loving person. And because certain people in my life (cough-husband) are both very into getting presents and very difficult to please, it adds a layer of stress to this whole process that has managed to turn me off even more. I love Christmas, but I'd be so much happier if we could do all of the traditional stuff and limit the exchanging of actual gifts to two or three small or handmade items. Unfortunately, I'm out-voted. Another problem with shopping early is that, when I've tried, invariably the person for whom I've bought that awesome, perfect gift either acquires that item in between the time I purchase and the big day or changes his/her mind about wanting it at all. So, those of you who do all your shopping early, how do you get around those issues? What do you find that is "safe" to buy in October or early November that still makes eyes sparkle by late December? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I've bought a few things. Part of it is that each year DD designs/draws a calendar and I use some of the graphics as well to make custom clothing items. Those have a month or so lead time (especially embroidered things), so I order them well in advance. That basically covers a lot of family members. In my case, I really can't buy Christmas for DD before Black Friday because the kid had the audacity to be born on Thanksgiving. What she gets for her birthday really makes a difference as to what she gets for Christmas, so I usually don't do other Amazon orders until then, although it really doesn't seem to reduce the number of cardboard boxes much. I have no clue what to get my nieces this year. It was so much easier when they still were young enough to want toys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) DD American girl stuff, her favorite picture books (she loves the illustrations and has checked it out several times just to look at the pictures), lands end gloves she liked to match her coat. Ds Lego set, still looking for a watch and cell phone. Ds 20/23 Leatherman and gift cards Edited November 19, 2015 by lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm mostly done. I just have dh left to shop for. I did a lot of thrift store shopping throughout the year for nieces and nephews. We are doing one gift per kid this year, since they get so much from other people, and a basket filled with gifts for the family. -ds6 is getting a bunch of star wars action figures -dd5 is getting a wooden dollhouse that I found used for $18! -ds2 is getting a wooden barn play set I found used for $18 as well! -dd 9 months will be getting peg puzzles that have been in storage waiting for the next kid to be ready to use - in the basket we have books, construction paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils, notebooks, some puzzles, modelling clay, and some audio books. Nieces and nephews are getting a slip and slide, dress up clothes, duplos, books, and card games. Mil is getting a dsw gift card(purchased using rewards points) Fil Nordstrom gift card(purchased using rewards points) Fil's partner is getting vodka Dh will be getting a computer desk chair, an expansion to the game quarriors, and likely a Neil gaiman book I have no idea about stocking stuffers. In total we've spent 150 on Christmas gifts which is the lowest ever! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) My boys are all older now, have jobs, and really don't need anything. This year we opted to pay for their lift tickets for a ski trip and we went with the "4 things" idea (something to wear, to read, want, and need). So far I have the wear, read and some of the want taken care of. The most fun I've had so far was to get them all a pair of Tommy John's special Testicular Cancer awareness underwear. They are kind of pricey but it's for a good cause. And having all boys, well, this is something close to my heart :) And the awesome commercial (on their website) sealed the deal. #SupportYourBalls https://www.tommyjohn.com/?gclid=Cj0KEQiAg7ayBRD8qqSGt-fj6uYBEiQAucjOweQEt50TAp5zCUQ7QSfz5DpcfU9H66J4Ai26YGdKUCAaAsy98P8HAQ Edited November 19, 2015 by Miss Marple 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 High end headphones for the kids. I will pick up some Christmas candy and little things like Steam cards in December, but my shopping is done! I would love to take credit for this idea, but DH thought of the gifts this year. Absolutely perfect for my nearly-grown and grown kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Lots of building toys/legos for 3 of ours. Puzzle, car garage educational toy, and Lego train for baby. Sweater and earphones for oldest dd, and will either give her some cash or gift cards. Personalized tumblers for close friends and SIL, etc. It's a long list...lots of family members. I'm a gift giver, love finding the right gift for the right person... if personalized I try to think of something useful (coffee mug, water tumblers etc) that they'll use but will also put a smile on their faces :) When I ran out of ideas I usually do a gift card to one of their favorite restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Well nobody else buys for my kids except us so there is no chance of doubling up on gifts. I take mental notes of my kids requests during the year and the ones they stick with over many months are the ones they get for Christmas. This year they all want the same thing... Legos, Shopkins and Skylanders/New Skylander game. The Legos and Skylanders they get every year and never tire of...Shopkins is new but they have played with the small amount they have everyday for the last few months so I know they won't change their minds. I keep all receipts in case of clothing that doesn't fit or the occasional double up of Skylander character because they have so many I have no idea what they already have. Anything randomly added onto the wish list after December 1st is ignored because whim gifts never get played with here. I tend to just stick with the tried and true... I don't buy big gifts for my kids in between Christmas and birthdays so generally anything that catches their eye in January is still very much wanted and not obtained by those times. I don't buy gifts for anyone but my kids because we have no family close so I don't have to worry about that. I don't buy gifts for DH because he does what you mentioned....says he really wants something and doesnt use it or gets it himself before the day. Now He only gets clothes from me which is something he never buys for himself. This year my kids are getting DD9.... Shopkins, Lego, Skylander characters, a wolf stuffie, clothes and swimmers for our vacation and maybe a desk for her room DS8... Shopkins, Lego, Skylander characters, clothes, swimmers and maybe a Lego table to share with DS6 DS6 ( my toy lover)...Same as siblings plus Imaginext Dino Fortress and two dinosaurs he has been wanting forever, Imaginext Batman toys to go with his Bat Cave, a kittie stuffie Santa is bringing the new Skylander game for them to share Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) I had my kiddos start their wish lists after Halloween. I mostly know what they want, but this helps me identify anything they've not been begging for but secretly wanting. Also, the sooner I get "my" picks (from me & Santa), the sooner I can send out the list to others who request ideas (my SIL, MIL, mom, grandparents). So my kiddos... Youngest is getting Harry Potter Legos = retired!!! = expensive!!! = needed the extra time to make bids and get good deals on ebay. She is also getting roller skates, books, some Harry Potter figurines. Oldest: Star Wars Legos, SW figurines, skates, books, my old iPod loaded with all her favorite songs + a speaker. They are both getting more wooden blocks (cause I'm tired of the fuss over what we have), dvds, some storage containers for above mentioned Legos. They've asked for Barbie clothes and Schleich and other Lego sets, but I've delegated those ideas to relatives to supply. Extended family: my young relatives are getting books and handmade items. My older relatives are getting photo desk calendars (which we do every year). My teen relatives are getting cold, hard cash cause I'm cool like that (and because I only have the one youngish cousin who is 11 and $5 + a candy bar will make him happy enough). Edited November 19, 2015 by alisoncooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I am done with extended family and this year I went with coffee cups and some local jam. My mom doesn't drink coffee, so she asked for an apron, which I ordered and sent this week. I am getting my kids this next week. My son is getting lego related stuff, some books, and movies he wants. DD I hope to purchase an art/drafting table and some art supplies. Not a lot of toys this year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm big on gifts, so I don't really have any advice to your first problem To the second one, we have a rule that no one can buy anything for themselves during oct/nov/dec lol :laugh: For adults, we tend towards consumable items, so doubling up isn't so much an issue. For husband and kids, we aren't really into the latest fads, so I can buy ahead and it will still have interest at Christmas, in fact I often begin writing my list in July/August. The extended family often checks with me about what to buy for the kids so we avoid doubling up there. I always keep a little money in the budget for last minute Christmas present purchases, things that come out special in December or interests and wishes which suddenly appear. This year, the kids primary presents are horse toys, puzzles and logic games, a couple of popular plastic toys their friends have, special water balloons and a big sensory tub kit, and a construction toy. DH got some really nice underwear (lol, I never do socks and underwear for christmas! But, he bought into marketing and wanted to try some of the expensive undies and see if they really were different). There is some funny shirts, since that's all he wears on non-work days. His big present is a nerdy game which has expansions, so that ended up rather pricy all told. And he is getting a huge box full of christmas treats (no one here eats plum pudding or fruit cake or fruit mince pies, so I buy him lots and he has them for months afterwards). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) We don't do big gifts and we don't do gifts for dh and I - if we want or need (and can afford) something we buy it. So that makes it easier. This is the second year I've used something I've read here: Something you want Something you need Something to wear Something to read 'Wear' is a printed T-shirt each this year, and 'wear' and 'read' were ordered online. 'Need' is a lunch box and a school bag respectively. So that leaves 'want' to think about. It keeps it simple! The kids also get Christmas stockings and those are consumables as much as is possible, or little things they want but I wouldn't normally buy because I think they're silly or a waste of money. I usually pick a willing friend to walk through the mall with me to get that done - we make a day of it (I hate shopping, so this helps). Some stocking items come from EBay. Edited November 19, 2015 by nd293 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Oh we have a rule that you cannot buy yourself anything between October and Christmas unless it is absolutely necessary 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Oh we have a rule that you cannot buy yourself anything between October and Christmas unless it is absolutely necessary Yeah, we used to have that rule, too, but it became impractical. What if one of us found something we had been looking for at a really good price? More than once, the person in question opted to refrain from buying the item, because it was within the October-Christmas window, only to not actually receive the item as a gift -- sometimes because the potential gift giver had already used up the gifting budget by the time that item went on that really good sale -- and therefore not only missed the good price but wound up being disappointed on Christmas morning when said item was not among the gifts. The only possible work-around for that situation would be to simply ask the potential gift-giver if it would be stepping on toes to purchase the item, since the potential gift-receiver happened to have found a really good price. However, that would mean that either the potential gift-giver then felt badly about not having bought that item OR has to ruin the Christmas-morning surprise by telling the potential gift-receiver not to buy the item. It all got very complicated and sucked even more of the remaining fun out of the gifting process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 We don't have a ton of folks to buy for, and most are pretty easygoing and/or make a list so it's not too bad. I haven't bought everything yet (waiting on dh's commission check to round out the holiday budget!!) but I more or less know what I'm getting. DD10 is getting a couple of games for her Nintendo DS, a crystal growing kit, and a pen that "writes" in chocolate. DS5 is getting a Boogie Board tablet, some building toys, Play-Doh, and a neat pulley system that allows you to pull little baskets back and forth. My dad is making him a box with all different kinds of nuts, bolts, etc. that he cant mount to the box, with his own set of real tools and a toolbox. He will probably love that more than anything from Santa! There will be a few little additions that I pick up from sales online or at the dollar section at Target and stuff in their stockings. I'm most excited about DH, though. I'm getting him a nice set of luxury shaving items (thanks to input from the Hive!) and a bacon curing kit. I can't wait to see his face -- he LOVES to smoke different kinds of meats and he's never made bacon. I've been debating about whether I should have a pork belly on hand because I suspect he'll want to do it right away. But not really sure how on earth I'd hide 5lbs of pork belly in the fridge so he won't see it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Yeah, we used to have that rule, too, but it became impractical. What if one of us found something we had been looking for at a really good price? More than once, the person in question opted to refrain from buying the item, because it was within the October-Christmas window, only to not actually receive the item as a gift -- sometimes because the potential gift giver had already used up the gifting budget by the time that item went on that really good sale -- and therefore not only missed the good price but wound up being disappointed on Christmas morning when said item was not among the gifts. The only possible work-around for that situation would be to simply ask the potential gift-giver if it would be stepping on toes to purchase the item, since the potential gift-receiver happened to have found a really good price. However, that would mean that either the potential gift-giver then felt badly about not having bought that item OR has to ruin the Christmas-morning surprise by telling the potential gift-receiver not to buy the item. It all got very complicated and sucked even more of the remaining fun out of the gifting process. Hmm that's tough. My kids are still young enough not to be able to buy whatever they want because they don't have the money. Dh and I don't really NEED a surprise on christmas morning so we would likely ruin the surprise by discussing the found good deal. Knowndh he'd then get me something small and make me go on a scavenger hunt for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 I'm most excited about DH, though. I'm getting him a nice set of luxury shaving items (thanks to input from the Hive!) and a bacon curing kit. I can't wait to see his face -- he LOVES to smoke different kinds of meats and he's never made bacon. I've been debating about whether I should have a pork belly on hand because I suspect he'll want to do it right away. But not really sure how on earth I'd hide 5lbs of pork belly in the fridge so he won't see it... Is anyone coming for christmas lunch? Buy it and ask them to bring it with them, or if you're going to someone elses house leave it there to pick up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Is anyone coming for christmas lunch? Buy it and ask them to bring it with them, or if you're going to someone elses house leave it there to pick up I could leave it at my Mom's, but her fridge will be jammed with goodies already. She used to have an extra fridge in the garage, and that was nice, but it finally bit the dust! It's okay though. He won't have time to make it on Christmas Day anyway -- I can go out bright and early on Saturday and get him one! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Dd is getting independence for Christmas. :p She took a couple of classes on making beads and covering pens with polymer clay this year, and that's not worth a whole lot if she can't come home and make more. I bought some of the nasty plastic clay and a toaster oven. No one is cooking plastic in my kitchen, :ack2: but she can set up her toaster oven in the laundry. She's also getting a bee keeping jacket so she can look at her uncle's hives and begin learning bee keeping. She's planning to buy some so she can have a honey business. My mother and brother are setting her up with a few chooks so she can sell eggs to save up for the bees. Two businesses must be better than one, lol. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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