I cannot show anything. I got a test kit for DNA. I spit in a tube and mailed it in.

I could not chose just one thing. I got so many nice things from my children!

Sue

They didn't have a holiday shop at my kids school this year and my 5 year old was so dissappointed since it would be her first year getting to do it. So I took them all to Dollar Tree and let them go shopping. We all paired up so none of them were by themselves and no one would see what they were getting.

This is what my 5 year old got for me.

I've been using it every day since Christmas. :)

Oldest DD went out shopping on Christmas Eve! What is possibly open?

She bought gift cards to a fine Italian restaurant that we like!

Texas, I'm curious about the Holiday shop at school. How does that work.....sounds like it could be a great idea for the little ones.

Cute mug....I know that it makes you smile.

I have to say my fave would be the Willow Tree "Wisdom" girl my hubby gifted me with.

I got a gift subscriptions to Ancestry and Newspapers. I'm having a blast. Dh wonders when I'm going to burn myself out. I had already done a bunch without it. I've found some old photos and a couple of awesome stories.

rhizo- they had it when I was a kid too and I always loved it, how often do kids really get the chance to purchase gifts for family members without anyone knowing what they got?

It was a week long event, set up in the library. The PTA purchases an initial inventory and on Monday, all the kids in school get to go to the shop and preview the items and make a wish list with a volunteer. This wish list doesn't actually list items, just 5 dollars- dad, 2 dollars- sister, etc.

This gets sent home for the parents to put money in an envelope and send back to school. Then they get to go back with their money and purchase the items, which are put in gift sacks and labeled with the recipient and the child brings them home and puts them under the tree.

Any inventory not sold is sent back to the company (reindeer Lane gift shop) and the PTA gets refunded.

Some schools use it as a fundraising event by charging higher prices for the items but our school never did, we just did it as a treat for the children.

The new PTA president felt like she didn't have enough volunteers last year so she threatened to cancel it. My husband, myself and about 8 other parents all volunteered to run it this year but in the end, she decided not to do it. It really upset me and my kids.

That is a shame. I do understand lack of volunteers. When we went through the lower grades, it was only a small group that stepped up to the plate.

The fact that you offered and she still refused, is mind boggling. If she is new to the area, perhaps she did not understand how meaningful this tradition was for the school?

Be ready to volunteer early next year, so this tractional doesn't fall by the wayside.

What a great idea, texas! I'll bet that it doesn't get dropped again. It does sound like it takes a good amount of thoughtful planning and volunteerism.

Bossy..your white sheets with gold circles..100% long staple cotton threads from Portugal? ? I have the same ones, at least they look the same lol

Had to replace some cabinets a few years ago and our manual trash drawer was removed. Ever since we had trash can sitting out on floor. DH installed a trash drawer that is tap activated. Really really like it! Sometimes I toe tap other cabinets b/c it's so convenient.

Schools around here have the Holiday Shop for elementary students but instead of money, because it isn't a fundraiser, each child brings in gently used items from their home. Parents give an item for each "gift" the child will be choosing. If they buy for grandparents and parents and two siblings then they would bring in four adult type items and two child items. Some parents just go get dollar store items if they haven't enough to fill the list. The tables are set up with items for the adult, younger child, older siblings, and even a pet table. Classes are able to view all the items for a couple of days and then go with a Volunteer to pick their gifts for their list. Of course the parent when sending in items for the tables also sends the list of gifts the child will need ..ie grampa ...dad ...mom....older sister age 15 younger brother age 4, and Felix the cat. Like the above poster the gifts are wrapped and tagged, most of the time by the older students for the child to bring home and place under the tree. A box is kept at the school for any adults wishing to donate items for this activity, as there is always a child or two that isn't prepared and no one is left out. The kids absolutely love taking part and try hard to keep secrets about what is in the packages.

MacBook Air! What a relief after dealing with a series of Windows-based laptops!!!!

I have several extremely large plants that I keep in the house during the winter. My son made me large rolling plant dollies so I can roll the plants around making floor cleaning easier and allowing me to move the plants to different locations with ease. He used pressure treated wood, stained them, and large rotating casters. Fantastic!!

DS and DDIL came up with a novel idea this year - tickets for the 4 of us to see Don Giovanni at the Met with Placido Domingo conducting. I haven't been to a production at Lincoln Center in years and I'm really looking forward to this. And then DH added to the surprise by booking hotel rooms for the weekend. This is a real treat.

Very old piano sheet music from my life-long friend in Pa. Her grandmother's. Mairzy Dotes, Blueberry Hill, A bushel and a peck, Elmer's Tune, When you wish upon a star, Tennessee Waltz, In the Garden, and on and on. With other useful stuff like face cream, soaps, coffee. I have been having fun playing again, like a Kid at Christmas, playing with new toys. I miss my late father, mother, and husband, but now I can play for them and imagine they may hear it. I got Ancestry last year and enjoyed it, became obsessed. There's nothing like a gift that keeps you busy and immerses you.

No Christmas gifts but I was happy to receive a few Christmas and Sympathy cards from friends here. Very much appreciated, thank you.

Our town's community center has a gift program for kids. Any kid can use it -- public school, private, parochial. Ten dollars max per gift. High school kids wearing Santa hats accompany the children to help them choose for the people on their lists, then they and adults gift-wrap the items. (I have to admit I don't know where they get the stock of gifts.)

I remember being little and wishing I could buy my mother a Christmas gift. No money. No one to take me shopping.

We got a new grandson born early morning of December 26. Best present ever.

And the winner is pkponder!

My favorite Christmas gift is one I won't be able to fully enjoy until next Christmas but I have an entire year to look forward to it!!

We have an arm of the family - my sister's middle daughter and her spouse - that has considerable wealth. They are extremely generous and three years ago they hosted the entire family - 28 of us - to an all expense paid Christmas vacation in Mexico (an all-inclusive resort on the Mexican Riviera). Next Christmas they are doing the same and made the announcement Christmas day!!

The first trip was a magical experience and everyone enjoyed it immensely. Some of the family is getting on in years and the ability to travel much is diminishing. We have actually lost one of the original members in the past year and this may be the last time that we can get the whole extended family together once again, as they are scattered across the country. And my daughter had just started a new job the last time and couldn't join us but she will be with us this time!!

My nephew is the big planner and he delights in putting these extravaganzas together. He plans outings and adventures, plans parties for our two Christmas time birthdays (24th and 28th), gets the resort to put on an amazing Christmas dinner (last time was on the beach with bonfires and our own mariachi band!!) and derives year long entertainment doing all the planning and ironing out the logistics.

I can't wait!! Mexico in December is heavenly! We are indeed blessed :-)

What an exciting event to look forward to for the year!

A picture on canvas of my grandchildren. Love it.

I received this Dachshund pin for CHRISTMAS.

My favorite gifts came from my daughter. She is a grad student and has little disposable income so she used her imagination for gifts this year. She gave gift certificates personalized for each recipient and it was obvious she spent time thinking of things that person would appreciate. For example, one of the certificates she gave my husband was for a 30 minute back rub as he always has tight muscles in his back. He wasted no time in redeeming that certificate! I had mentioned I had wanted to do a complete clean out of the refrigerator before the holidays but never got around to it as it is something I am always putting off. One of the certificates she gave me was for just that. To me, the thoughtfulness she put into these gifts meant so much more to me than any gift she could have purchased.

I got this from my hubby. Also got an IPadPro from my kids and grandkids. Yea!!

It has a dump bed. Looking forward to using it for my yard Work!!

One of my nieces made a family calendar with Shutterbye. It included dozens of pictures of family members, some dating back more than 50 years. On the cover I am holding her when she was about one. We are dressed in red and very happy. Others include my 3 brothers and my parents and many nieces and nephews. Many of the pictures I had never seen.

Such good memories of different places and happy times!

Totally priceless!