Gift Giving Thread
 

I thought since it is holiday season I'd start a gift thread, that way we can discuss ideas and gifts we are giving, maybe for those of us to share our experiences or to help others with ideas and generally help and enjoy gift giving!!

I'm done this year (I think... O.o)

I'm excited about the gifts I made for my sister and brother. My sister is getting a nice mahogany polished tea pot and a t-shirt from threadless (skeleton dance party imposter) with a mix cd I designed for her called (Sometimes) Heavy Metal Listening Party. My brother, PILLOW FIGHT!!! mix cd with rice cook and steamer/rice cooker cookbook.

my mom is getting a lot of music related stuff because she doesn't have an ipod or buy cds. I think the Susan Boyle and Michael Buble craze has reminded her how much she misses music, so we (my siblings) went in together to get her a pink 16GB nano with an inscription on back. We also all went together and got her a nice silver family tree portrait photo stand. I also got her susan boyle and michael buble's cd. We will have to show her how to use iTunes, but I'm excited to give it to her. She wants to start walking more and the nano is perfect because its tiny and has a pedometer and FM radio in it, so it should encourage her with that too.

as for my dad. man he is a difficult buy. he is a practical man of few words, so we got him something he would use and needs, a replacement dvd player for the one they have that has issues and goes largely unused (because of said issues). I also got him Modern Marvels Engineering Disasters dvd box set to go with it.

as non-family members, everyone is getting tea. there is an amazing tea store here that I love to buy from, so everyone who is getting gifted is getting a nice tin with leaves (bags aren't my cup of tea, hardy har har), mostly rooibos (because a lot of people have no idea what rooibos is and its my favorite) and green tea (because the company is Japanese and has a shitload of amazing green teas).

I'm done as well. Got my best friend a new 360 cause his got dropped and broken, got my other friend an iPod touch and I'm still deciding what to get my girlfriend?

I'm useless with gifts so I just give my sister money and she get's everybody stuff on my behalf!

It's tough cause you wanna get them something great and I have zero imagination for such things though. :(

dannnnng I wanna be your friend! XD

as for the mix cds, my brother's has kabukicho no joou on it and my sister got souretsu, XD.

What the hell? Where does this money come from, Bingo? XD

I am doooooooone with Christmas shopping as of today. I still have to wait for the things I ordered online to come in, so I can't wrap everything and truly be done, but it feels good to have decided on it all. Giving my dad some coffee-table books my company publishes on topics he'll be interested in (architecture and wine) (this is a copout because I get them for free, haha), my mom some pajamas and a book on Disneyland (it is what she wants!), my sister some books on feminism and some socks. I don't want to say what I'm getting my bf as there's a tiny chance he'd come here and see it and it's really awesome and don't want to spoil the surprise, so I will say after Christmas. Same for the things I got close friends.

Also got a bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve for the office white elephant exchange. I work with 99% women but I'm sure at least one will appreciate fine Belgian beer made by Trappist monks, and if no one wants it I will gladly take it home myself. (I originally wanted to get a bottle of Baileys or something but what I thought was a liquor store turned out to only sell wine and beer, haha.)

Money is tight right now, so I'm only buying for my boyfriend. He's getting books and a CD or record or two. Not very exciting, I know, but it's the thought that counts, right? We're doing Christmas Eve with his parents, and we've bought them some gifts together - I know we bought his mother this really pretty necklace/earrings set. His father's very . . . country so he'll probably get something practical.

My family wants me to come for Christmas, but I can't really afford to travel right now, so I'm doing Christmas again in January when I have more money. I'll buy my sisters and their kids gifts. I usually go with houseware-type stuff for my sisters and their husbands, and I'll have to ask to see what their kids are into.

I think I'm more excited about cooking for Christmas Eve than I am about anything else.

I want a sandwich toaster :) I hope somebody gets me one :P That or a new pot for pasta!

My best friend has become obsessed with zombies. She fell in love with Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, and recently bought and enjoyed a board game called 'Zombies!!!'. I got her a better board game called 'Last Night On Earth' which is apparently very good, and it looks very Left 4 Dead. Also got her Max Brooks 'Zombie Survival Guide' and 'World War Z' books. I think I'm going to get my mam a digital photo frame and fill it with family photos. My dad I was going to get a nice whiskey glass set with a bottle of Glenmorange but by the time I got the money it was sold out :( Gotta think of something else now. My brother will be easy to buy for; I'll just buy him a 360 game :P