BEST gift you bought this year???

[decodelighted]

Hey guys,

I''m caught in a last minute frenzy of x-mas shopping and thought it would be fun to post the best/most fun/interesting gifts we''ve found for people this year in the interest of helping people with last minute "inspiration".

I''ll start ...

I got my niece a cool retro Fisher Price re-issue Snoop & Sniff dog.

Anyone? Anyone?

Deco

 

[ame]

I got my nephew the baby leap pad. And a few extra books to go with it, including Pooh Loves You and Where the Wild Things Are.

Little Touch Leap Pad Learning System

 

[Kaleigh]

I bought Ashley a beautiful necklace and earring set. The necklace is a strand of Peruvian opals and dangling from it are briolettes with all different stones. It''s beautiful. I can''t wait to borrow it, haha.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/18/2005 2:10:22 PM
Author: ame
I got my nephew the baby leap pad. And a few extra books to go with it, including Pooh Loves You and Where the Wild Things Are.

Leap pads are wonderful. . .great learning tool AND there''s a volume control.

 

[Mara]

I think one of the fave gifts I found this year was for my mom and also my girlfriend...they were on RedEnvelope and they are earrings that are gold discs that are mingled with topaz dangling stones on one set and amethyst on the other that dangle from the ears. They are really cool and they were only $28 each. I just checked the site and I guess they sold out. Glad I got mine!

Also the other sweet gift I found which was total last minute, I saw it in a magazine the other day at the salon, they are called Shuga Buds, they are Swarovski crystalized iPod earbuds...www.shugabuds.com but also Neimans and Saks has them. See attached image. I had to hunt high and low to find the pink ones for my sister, they were sold out EVERYWHERE but one place and are being bid up on eBay! So hopefully they arrive in time. She lives with her iPod stuck to ear so I know she will love them.

 

[Kaleigh]

Rob just got Ashley a pair in Pink for Christmas. Sooo cute!!!

 

[crafftygrrl]

I''m way into comfort this year.

I got my daughter and my sister-in-law these incredibly soft, warm and cuddly robes at the Gap. I want one too.

I also got my In-Laws these U-shaped, Tempur Pedic neck pillows. They travel cross country all the time and this will make their trips more comfortable. They already received my gifts and opened them. They loved them.

 

[MINE!!]

I got my daughter the Lumus Booklight with Griffindor case.

I got my other daughter The Complete Works of Curious George

 

[Ann]

It is funny how the cheapest things manage to be the most fun to buy (well, sometimes, sparklies excluded)

Today, I went into this costume jewelry place here in Houston, called Charming Charlie.(Woodlands location, for you H-town girls) Chandelier earrings, hundreds of them, $ 6.50, 7.50, 9.50. I went beserk. My daughter and niece will not have to buy earrings til they go out of style!
Of course, they have the designer knockoff purses, but I didn''t do those. There was so much stuff to look at. Gobs of belts - those crystal laden western ones 39.00. (I paid $89.00 for mine at the Nutcracker Market, and it was a knockoff of the $300.00 at Neimans) Tons of scarves. The place was crowded but what fun! I stayed in there from noon til 2:15. Gorgeous long layered necklaces, bought a bunch of those. Just a good ol'' time! Then I went to Target and bought my neices'' daughter a precious baby doll with a stroller and "magic bottles"!! I haven''t bought that type of toy in 20 years! Fun! Sure beats buying plasma computer monitors (daughter) and kayak paddles (hubby). We have big Christmases. Everyone gets hords of stuff. Yeah, I know, but it is fun. And I wrap it all!

 

[VegasAngel]

Gift cards to the stores they love. I know they are impersonal but they are purchased and given with love and they sure do make my life a lot easier. I dont feel like putting up with traffic, crowds, lack of parking, walking etc....

 

[fountainfairfax]

Last year we came up with a new tradition in our little family that makes a lot of sense: no gifts for the adults! It''s just me & my FI, my parents, my sister & her husband and their daughter.

My sister & her husband have had quite a few years of financial hell- a failed business & his severe health/heart problems just put them so far behind. Last year my mom said "Let''s just buy for Kayla," their daughter who was 1 1/2 yrs old at the time. It just seemed so logical that we all become "Santa''s Helpers" and that any money we would have spent on each other went to give Kayla a magical Christmas. Christmas last year also included diapers, clothes and whatever baby food she was eating at the time, so it was practical and fun!

Fast forward to this year- we all agreed to do it the same way again but my sister said "Kayla has so many toys and everyone (mainly my parents) helps out all year round, so please don''t go overboard and just buy a few small things." When you ask Kayla if Santa is coming soon she belts out like a drill sargent "YES! And its a small christmas because everyone including Santa is poor and If I''m a good girl he''ll bring me THREE presents!!!!" and then she names three toys really fast "puppysuprise, check up carebear and story-telling carebear." Every time the third gift changes

"little pets toyshop" or "dora dress up" It''s so cute, she points her finger and gestures wildly as she counts calls out the toys. So, needless to say, Santa has been listening and the three gift wish will be granted (and then some!)

Money is so crazy tight this year that FI and I are not giving gifts to each other this year (which actually has me very bummed out) but he said his parents never give each other gifts and I know that he only "gives" them something if I buy it so I guess we''re continuing his family tradition, too

 

[ame]

Date: 12/19/2005 12:57:00 PM
Author: VegasAngel
Gift cards to the stores they love. I know they are impersonal but they are purchased and given with love and they sure do make my life a lot easier. I dont feel like putting up with traffic, crowds, lack of parking, walking etc....

I am ALL ABOUT the gift cards. I ask for them and I love when others do. It''s so much easier. I don''t feel like I have to accept a gift I don''t want or like and dont have to fight lines to return something taht doesn''t fit or fit my taste.

 

[Blue824]

So today I finished the last of my shopping yay! I''ve done a LOT of shopping this year. We buy for almost everyone in our very large extended family! Plus a few family friends paid me to shop this year, which was fun! But it does get to you after a while. Anyway, so now that I''m done, I can officially decide what the best gift I bought was. I''m probably the most excited to give my little brother (little being 17) part of his gift. He loves those fuzzy Fom pillows from Brookstone and soft bedding in general. So I was at Marshall Fields and walked past some of the bedding and they had this section of those huge body pillows, you know, the ones that are like 3 feet long or so? Well they were covered entirely in this super soft, almost furry fabric and I just knew he''d love it.

So funny how sometimes the randomest things can be the ones you''re most excited to give. Plus some clothes & books, but I know that the pillow will be his favorite.

The other thing...my brothers and I go in on our parents'' gifts together, and we thought about how my mom doesnt have a stocking she just sits and watches us open ours. Its always been like that, I never really gave much thought to adults having them, thought it was a kid thing. So we got her one. Its not handmade like ours are, but it has an adorable snowman on it and our family friend does monograms so she put "MOM" up at the top for us. I think she''ll be pretty touched by that.

 

[eks6426]

A chocolate fountain for my son (age . His favorite food is chocolate covered strawberries. We went to the brunch buffet at the Del Coronado in San Diego and they had a huge chocolate fountain. My son litereally stood in front of it for 1 1/2 hours dipping and eating. He never tried anything else. Bed Bath & Beyond had a miniture one that is cute. He''ll love it.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

I gave my sister customized postage stamps with a picture of her favorite cat on it.

I also gave my husband a personalized wine of the month club sort of thing. He likes wine, so picked out 12 bottles, and made personalized labels that I put on the bottle (but not over the bottle''s label). So, for Oct, which is our anniversary month, I picked a sparkling wine and decorated the label with wedding stickers, paraphrenelia, sayings, etc. So, basically each month has a theme. some more obvious than others (like 4th of July), but others like first date month, engagement month, tax day, etc.

 

[eks6426]

Logan sapphire...cute idea on the wine bottles. I think that''s a terrific idea. Does he get them all at once or do you dole them out each month?

 

[Mara]

haha the 'smartest' gift that we got this year was in our friend exchange, greg's secret santa gave him an iPod shuffle! well the limit was $25 so we were all giving our friend grief on over-spending (the office anyone??). he said well i got a discount. we said what, 80% off? well, i found out from another friend that his company passed them all out this year!!

so i asked him if he regifted his corporate gift to greg. he said no i got this one for speaking at a conference last month. this one is 512MB and the corporate one was 1GB. i said HAH nice one sneakster....and THEN greg let slip he is going to re-gift it to ME because i had asked for a small mp3 player for xmas, just for when i am out walking, something easy...i don't have the patience for lots of buttons and controls. well the cat is out of the bag now.

this all gave me quite a good laugh!! can't wait to get my new ipod! tee hee.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Date: 12/22/2005 2:21:52 PM
Author: IslandDreams
Logan sapphire...cute idea on the wine bottles. I think that''s a terrific idea. Does he get them all at once or do you dole them out each month?

Thanks! He saw them all at once, but he only gets the appropriate one per month!

 

[Blue824]

Date: 12/22/2005 2:21:52 PM
Author: IslandDreams
Logan sapphire...cute idea on the wine bottles. I think that''s a terrific idea. Does he get them all at once or do you dole them out each month?

Agreed, that is such a cute and creative idea! I love it!

 

[MissAva]

I guess a massage table for my parents, and soft flannel sheets for it and massage oils, or perhaps an averntine rosary for my FMIL blessed by the Pope.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 12/22/2005 8:52:39 PM
Author: Mara
haha the ''smartest'' gift that we got this year was in our friend exchange, greg''s secret santa gave him an iPod shuffle! well the limit was $25 so we were all giving our friend grief on over-spending (the office anyone??).

cool for you!!!! and wait, what...you''d rather have the ipod than the tea kettle or the handmade oven mitt?!?!?!?! (also from ''the office'')

 

[Mara]

Date: 12/23/2005 5:05:51 PM
Author: FireGoddess

Date: 12/22/2005 8:52:39 PM
Author: Mara
haha the ''smartest'' gift that we got this year was in our friend exchange, greg''s secret santa gave him an iPod shuffle! well the limit was $25 so we were all giving our friend grief on over-spending (the office anyone??).

cool for you!!!! and wait, what...you''d rather have the ipod than the tea kettle or the handmade oven mitt?!?!?!?! (also from ''the office'')

hey, but the tea kettle had the ''toy surprise'' inside...soo worth it...haaaa!!!