Most appreciated (by DGD, nearly six) was the toy horse and riding habit for her American Girl doll. Also a Hawaiian outfit for the doll.

I've heard telephoned thanks from her and her brother. Too bad their *parents* have yet to say thanks for their card and sizable Christmas check. <sigh>

Wow--my daughter Gillian would have loved that when she was little! I've never seen a riding habit for a doll. Very cool!

I gave my sister printed pictures of all the hikes we did together this summer. I did the same last year but put them in a photo album. There were lots of empty pages in the album so this year she can just put the pics in. She cried when she opened the box of pictures.

For hubby's sister & her husband and for another couple, our best friends, I did up baskets. They loved them! I included lots of food items you wouldn't normally buy, as well as mugs, magazines, a small Christmas ornament, etc. They opened them when they were here and had a blast going through and looking at each item.

I gave my oldest sister a Christmas platter in a pattern that she collects. She hasn't been able to find much in that pattern around here so she was thrilled with it. I got it last year on sale (I actually bought it last November but since I already had her Christmas gift wrapped and delivered by then I saved it for this year).

My 22 year old nephew really appreciated a gift I gave him. It is a book called "50 Places to Hike Before You Die". He loves hiking and just spent a semester at a university in Colorado and had lots of hiking adventures in Colorado, Utah and Arizona. One of the hikes in the book was Maroon Bells and he went there in October. I had a "woodsy" bookmark so I bookmarked that page. He couldn't stop telling me how much he loved it and he would keep the book forever. LOL It's really nice when a gift you give strikes a chord with people.

Some dollars ... taped to the bottom of a box of candy, given to a young woman, daughter of a friend, with a son in elementary school, whose income is somewhat spotty and not large ...

... and her observation was that it'll help buy diapers for the new little one that she's expecting soon.

o j

It's really nice when a gift you give strikes a chord with people.

It really is! I loved reading about all your thoughtful gifts.

Re the hiking photos, I'm doing something similar for my granddaughter's birthday. I've been going through my picture albums and scanning photos of her and family members, all taken during her childhood. I'm putting them in a photo album and will add more on other occasions.

I have spent time $ and effort on gifts that got a lukewarm smile and also big credits years after I gave something in which I was less invested, in relation to how recipient felt about it. Have also given gifts that got a tepid thanks that year but rave reviews years later when recipient learned to use the gift or grew to love it over time or missed it when it was gone.

Lovely gifts you all gave. I really only buy for grandson and I gave him a whole preppy wardrobe from the GAP. I am so boring. But my daughter made sweet little dishes which took her a long time to mold and etch in a tree design. The colors are soft muted green. I love it and have it on my kitchen island. She left five of them filled with a few pieces of expensive candy on the desks of women who work for her. She did it in the middle of last week since she was having eye surgery the next day. She never got a thank you, so when she returned to work this week, she thanked them for whatever they gave her and one never thanked her and the others said they loved the candy. No mention of the engraved dish. WTH??

Different strokes ... for different folks.

Some folks aren't impressed by artistic things ... even ones made by the giver: don't value the talent ... or time invested.

o j

That's a shame, Lily, but yeah--it happens. Joyful is right . . . some people don't appreciate, or relate to, handmade gifts.

Gift giving isn't as much fun for me now that all but one of the grandkids are older. They have to be very specific about likes and dislikes. But it was rewarding to see my two year-old granddaughter's face and hear her squeal of delight when she opened the little dollhouse we gave her. She's not old enough for a "regular" dollhouse, but this one is perfect for her. A two story cottage, with Mom, Dad, a good amount of furniture, even a dog that looks a bit like her real dog. And it closes sideways, latches, and has a handle for carrying. She gave the dog a bath in the tub, but needed to dry him off. I went to the sewing room and cut a small square of terry cloth, so she had a towel for Max. That tickled smile warmed my heart.

We gave both kids year memberships to their respective zoos. They both have toddlers and far too many toys all over the house so we thought that the outings might be appreciated (and they were). The best gift was the color sorter that 'Pop Pop' built for the twins, they loved it and played for hours with it.

I have only one grandchild and I made him a teepee. He loved it. Everyone else got cash.

DD gave DGS a gift from us, a glow in the dark basketball. It was warm in Texas this Christmas, so DGS and DSIL enjoyed lots of night time basketball games in their cul de sac. Look it up on Amazon if you have someone who likes to play basketball. It is lit from within and is really bright.

Rose, I love the teepee for Hank! What is used for the structure?

Pkponder, I used 4 dowels 6 ft long and 3/4" in diameter

Okay, Rose--and then what? :-)

It's so clever! I'm guessing you measured and then cut the fabric and sewed. But that sounds easier than I'm sure it was. You did such a professional job.

PKponder, I can say the same about that color sorter--clever and well done!

Sheilajoyce, I'm passing along that idea to my daughter-in-law, whose little brother loves basketball. Thanks!

Donna, I can just imagine your little granddaughter's delight. And, lucky for you, she'll be little for some time to come.

I think my most well-received gift was a Santa dressed in my nephew's university's colors that played the university's fight song. I was afraid he would think it was silly, but he loved it (or was kind enough to pretend to love it).

littlebug, I shed a few tears reading that you passed your new family heirloom to your DDIL. I need to look into that glow in the dark basketball too. My older grandson has a hoop on the driveway.

Littlebug, that was great. My mother-in-law was good to me in that way too. It meant a lot.

Oh Littlebug - we must have been on the same wavelength. I also have a pair of diamond stud earrings that I don't wear and I gave them to my DIL. When she married my son 5 years ago she wore her great aunt's diamond as her engagement ring - my son had planned on buying her a ring but she wanted the one that had been in her family for sentimental reasons and together they picked a new setting.

I knew how much it would mean to her to have something that had been in my family. And to make it better they were a vintage pair of old mine cut diamonds - which happens to be the same cut as the stone in her engagement ring. She was so touched and perhaps someday she'll have a daughter to give them to.

Maire

Bourbon balls. I make them with homemade super-spicy ginger cookies, nuts, dark cocoa and bourbon soaked dates.

I like this post as it gives me ideas for next year--all that jewelry I don't wear!

Alisande, that Water-Dragon mat is beautiful!

I also gave a lot of crocheted cotton hand-towels and cloths, for kitchen or bathroom. One person said they were too nice to use. I don't know what to make of that. I like to receive things I can use, so that is what I like to give.

I kept it real simple this year. Gave handmade soap from my favorite soap lady.

http://www.bon-savon.net/

I lost a brother in October. He had been ill for a long while and my sister in law had devoted herself to his care. During s conversation she mentioned how she missed gardening. I pulled out my box of saved seeds and made small packets of every kind I have and sent them to her. She loved it and will have time to garden this year.

Such gifts of love! And Alisande.....I have no words for your beautiful piece of art. I think that it is stunning.

to my friend who loves coffee, i gave her 2 half pounds of fresh flavored coffee from a local roaster, belguim chocolate and sea salt carmel. with that also gave her a big coffee mug that said "this coffee is making me awesome" & coffee themed kitchen towels. she was over the moon!!!!

I snagged 3 TJ gingerbread house kits before Thanksgiving and gave them to some younger neighbors now that the community is beginning to change. They all seemed to like the holiday project. Love the color sorter and teepee. What good ideas. I have to say that Christmas has a magical aura with little ones.

The other special gift this year is a collection of ornaments from our family collection for my DB and DSIL whose box was stolen from storage during a move. Hand made ornaments their daughter made when she was 5 (she's 19 and a college sophomore at Swarthmore now), crafted ornaments from my sister and me, ornaments from my mom and younger sister, and such. What good memories to share!

Not a gift that I gave, but that my son (19) rec'd from my former MIL. She packed a "treasure box" filled with things from when he was a child - several of his grandfather's pipes, a tiny antique train engine he used to play with, and several other items he loved as a child. It brought back sweet memories for him, and was particularly poignant for him this year since we lost my dad in April, and he helped me care for him here at home.

We did not do much in the way of gifts this year but we did go to my neighbors home for Christmas dinner and we always exchange gifts. She has no family to buy for other than her husband and her dogs so she has started showering us with Christmas gifts because she enjoys it so much. I try to reciprocate. She is an avid gardener and works in my yard all the time. She often gets into poison ivy. I got her the very best quality leather gauntlet gardening gloves I could find in her tiny hand size. She was so thrilled. She said oh my God no more poison ivy on my wrist.

I also bought them a Cajun pork Tenderloin wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeños. She cooked it for their new years eve meal last night and said it might be the best thing they have had. That made me happy.

My favorite gifts are memory gifts -- I got my two nieces tea towels with their favorite recipe form my aunt (their great) on it written in her hand and my grands and DD, got needlepoint Christmas ornaments AND my grands got my first ever knitted scarves.

Loved reading all of these. My favorite gift giving this years was to a new couple that just joined our church. Their SIL has cancer really bad. They spoke of a spoon that would help him when he is eating. The spoon was $50.00. I gave her the money to purchase it. Also, I gave 5 lady friends of mine each a $50.00 bill. They have been so good to help me with things e past few months. I wanted them to know how much I appreciated them. For me, I would always prefer to give then to receive any day!! Life is good.

I gave GK, DS and DH really great telescoping snow brushes for their full size 4x4 trucks. They reach 5 feet and the brush head can turn as needed. Finally found a gift that they thought was outstanding.

My gifts weren't that exciting. Dh is the gift giver. He already had the big gifts picked out for the kids so I just filled in with small stuff. Dd got a beginner piccolo and new computer, ds#2 a new phone and ds#1 got two big monitors for his computer. My sis probably enjoyed what I got her the most. She has an October birthday and I realized I had only bought her Christmas themed presents for it. We laughed and I told her I would mail birthday presents for Christmas since she needed the Christmas themed stuff before Christmas. Sis loves cats so I bought her a Jess n Jane cat themed Christmas shirt. Her favorite color is purple so I sent her a purple lightweight fleece jacket and a lined purple fleece shirt for her Christmas birthday present.