Will be gifting son and his wife a gift card for attending a cooking school class with the chef of a well know restaurant here. He has numerous weekend classes they can choose from, for their choice of class to sign up for and date to attend.

I've attended several before and lots of fun and great experience.

Think they both will really enjoy.

That sounds like something fun for them to do together!

My daughter and son bought new vehicles this fall. Both are getting WeatherTech floor liners.

I like those liners, but they are not inexpensive. Nice gift. I wish I had one for my driver's side which gets filthy.

My friend is taking an Alaskan cruise. I found some nice Alaska books in a used book shop. Also found cute Fitz & Floyd salt and pepper shakers for her in a thrift shop (like new). We don't mind giving each other recycled or re-gifted gifts.

We barely exchange in the family as we are generous with each other throughout the year.

I have those liners and they certainly make the floor easy to clean and hold water, snow and road salt well. They are not comfortable on the feet. Very hard and deeply ridged.

I am excited to give DH some woodworking tools he has wanted for a long time but has hesitated to spend the money on. He will be very happy with them!

My youngest is a wrestling fan and when he watchers it he sets up his chess board and uses football figurines from McDonald's as wrestlers. .LOL....I got him a WWE wrestling ring and two wrestling figures....he's gonna LOVE it.

I can't wait to see his face when he opens it.

A silly item- but I bought (at Cracker Barrel) a cereal size box of a Lucky Charms type cereal with only the marshmallows for my 26 year old. She got in trouble a couple of times as a kid when she ate all of the marshmallows. LOL. It didn't have a price and rang up as $10-oh well, its Christmas and her bday. I'm putting it in her stocking. I told her I bet something in your stocking is in your top three favorite gifts this year-a dream come true for you.

Kinda, I guess. I usually only buy for SO, and he is a fuddy duddy about things like that. He will almost NEVER give me any gift ideas. Whenever I ask him what he wants for Christmas, his birthday, Valentines day, anything, he always says "I have you, i don't want anything else." When i get him gifts I will ask him which one he likes best, he will say, "you." It sounds romantic but he does it to try to DISTRACT me from the subject at hand!

This year I got him the standard heaps of Carhartt clothes and accessories, socks, undies, and t shirts,cologne, belts, stuff like that. I am kinda excited about a pocket knife which I had engraved with his name and a Love, from me on it. I also got him an engraved, refillable lighter which i think he will love as well.

I bought 2 of the new Roku Ultra boxes for BOTH of us and after i get them set up we will be cutting the cable cord.

At work,in my department, their are 5 of us, 4 minions and our boss. I really didn't want to buy individual gifts for everyone. 2 of the minions are newer, younger girls just starting their families. I feel like we should set the example now to not exchange gifts with each other. I think they will silently thank me when they have multiple children to buy for, as they both plan to have larger families. Anyway, the other night shift person informed me that he bought me and only me a gift, because he doesn't really get along with anyone else, so i had to buy him something. I gave it to him today, mainly to get it out of the way. I decided to buy US, as a department a new set of cookware, cooking utensils and a knife set as we have a full kitchen type setup here, and the stuff we have is ancient and badly needs to be upgraded. I was excited about the idea, but only 3 out of the 5 of us will use it, the other two barely know how to use the microwave, so that took the air out of my sails regarding that.

I think I am most excited about the 50 bucks each one of my nephew/Godsons will get from me. That was always MY favorite gift at 9 years old......

Mama pinky, this sounds great! It’s so much fun watching someone open a gift they love.

Amylou, I am having trouble with my husband’s gifts, too. So nothing very exciting for him. It’s just things I have been listening to this year. Like when he struggled to cut a pretty thick wire. He has a garage full of tools but struggled. Ok, a bolt cutter thing in his stocking. Just stuff like that.

Iris,that's what I have to do! Listen and take notes all year. For example, back in the summer,he discovered that our local sheriffs deputy had a side mobile oil changing business. He called him up to change the oil in his diesel pickup truck. He told me about the neat little mat the guy had,like a creeper with no wheels. So i found one and put it in my amazon wish list. He has been losing weight and has had to punch holes in all his belts,so i added smaller,high quality belts and suspenders (carhartt,his favorite brand) to the list. I do that all year,then when It's time for gifts,I just go down the list adding them to my cart. I got him the mat and he always tells me you can never have too many tools,so I will probably go to Lowe's and get him another set of mechanics tools. That reminds me he can NOT keep track of a hammer. We must have 6 that have disappeared and are laying around our property,lost forever.So I'll get him a couple more of those too.

I love the cereal idea. That’s something my older daughter would get a kick out of. Mats for the car were my husband’s favorite a few years ago. I love the books, too. Books are actually my favorite presents. The men in this family love tools. Elizabeth, hope your husband will be happy with his.

Iris, that is a neat purse. Your daughter will be delighted.

Amylou, you are incredible! I should really do it your way. I am sure I am forgetting 3 out of 4 things I hear with him and other family members.

Amylou, perhaps you should install a tracker in the hammer before you give it to your DH.

I looking forward to giving my mom a memory book. She’s 89 and has dementia, and lives in a memory care facility. She recognizes most of us but often forgets names. I used Shutterfly and printed 30 pages of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with their names beside the pictures. Also in larger print. I am excited to give it to her but I also feel bad because I know she will cry.

Collenoz, I am surprised at his inability to keep up with hammers and only hammers. He is the type who remembers exactly where he put something,especially tools, when he put it there, how he left it,which way it was facing, and how many fingerprints were on it. But hammers are beyond that ability for him I guess.

Natesg, this will be a good cry.

Iris, you came up with some great gifts. The purse is so unique and sounds perfect for your daughter. Love the wrapping paper; your youngest is a very talented artist. I think you will make your MIL very happy with that gift.

Glenda, cooking school is a great couple's activity. Hubby and I took a one day class and we had a lot of fun. They will really enjoy it.

All of you have come up with really creative and thoughtful gifts for the people in your lives. That's what gift giving is all about!

Those are all such great ideas. I am a terrible gift-giver. It is rare that I give a really good gift. Last year I gave my sons and brothers "Man Crates", and my 18 yr old said it was the best-wrapped gift he ever got: I gave him the Puzzle Crate where you have to solve a series of puzzles to get to the gift. The gift was a gift card which really meant nothing to him, but he loved the puzzles. Took him an hour to do it! So this year I'm giving him the next puzzle-type crate. Those crates are pretty fun for guys.

I am excited to give the grandsons lots of things to learn to cook with. When I cook with them I have to take a lot of my things over,as their dads stuff is just to big for them to use, and takes some of the fun away. The most excited thing tho is to see the 8 year old open ( to him) the waffle iron . He wants one very much. When mom says they need to go to the dr. In Seattle, he will ask if shots may be given and then say it’s ok if they get to go to the Waffle House after for lunch. He was in awe when mom said she could make them if they could find a waffle iron.

Giving horse-related things to 9 year old granddaughter, along with riding lessons. She will be thrilled. We are trying to give "experiences" for our grands instead of more toys, etc. Not always easy to figure out, tho.

Wow, the origami looks great!

bought both my DD's Tiffany's necklaces, double heart and had them engraved... so excited.

one DD just bought a car in the summer and giving her Weather Tech mats.

other DD apple pen for her iPad.

DS needed a new suit, so that's his gift, not exciting for us but it is for him.

I have Weather Tech mats.....love them! Lucky charms marshmellows, riding lessons, insect paper(so pretty!), wrestling ring/toys, riding lesssons,Tiffany, a memory book....

YOU ALL ARE SO THOUGHTFUL and really used your imaginations to please the people in your life you love. Thanks for all the stories.

My husband has been working really hard getting this house fixed up so we can live in it comfortably. I found a BIG red glitter sign that says, "I'm grateful".

Nicole, that’s so sweet.

I gave my sister, who lives in another country, a gift certificate for her favourite restaurant, my brother-in-law received a gift certificate for Starbucks. My Dh will receive binoculars, a phone cleaner and a few other things.

You guys have lots of great ideas! I don't know if it's really more blessed to give than receive, but it sure is more fun. This year I'm particularly excited about a couple of things. I commissioned a close friend, a professional cartoonist, to create caricatures to give as gifts: my daughter and her husband on their mountain bikes (with their two cats trailing behind), and my two grandsons (4 and 7) as superheros scaling tall buildings. The artwork is 9x12, in color. I matted and framed them, and they look so cool!

I'm also excited about two little gifts I'm helping my grandsons make to give to their parents: Time Capsule ornaments. I interviewed each of them about their year--favorite places they visited, best friends, top book, food, etc.--and printed the results on red card stock that we then cut into strips. The boys put the strips into clear plastic ball ornaments, and I will add a little photo to each. I printed them last night with 2018 in big letters on them. I think the boys and their parents will be equally excited to give and receive them.

PS: If anyone is interested in the caricature idea for birthdays or whatever, send me a message. My friend accepts orders, and it's a bargain!

You all have come up with some great ideas. I’m usually a good and creative gift-giver, but I’ve lost my mojo this year. I’m not excited about any of the gifts I’ve purchased...hope to do better next year.

Love the time capsule ornament idea. I should help my nephew do something like this next year.

I keep wanting to make a book for each child (grown) with pictures from their life. I always forget about it until just before Christmas. Maybe I'll do it for their birthdays. I also keep meaning to get my wedding set made into some type of necklace or ring for my daughter...again, I keep forgetting. Nothing I'm really excited about. I just hope they like what I got them.

This year, when I asked my friend what her children wanted she gave me ideas. But the one child - who is a sports nut - requested a specific electric pencil sharpener. I grilled her on it. Because, seriously? Who wants to be that person that buys a pencil sharpener for a third grader?! She assured me he would be "over the moon" if I got him that exact gift. So, crossing my fingers, I bought it...we'll see how this goes.

There is usually one gift that I am really excited about giving - but so far this year, nothing stands out.

I bought my brother a coffee bean roaster plus a supply of green coffee beans, and I think he will enjoy this, as he likes his beans roasted a certain way (light or blond) and they are more difficult to find than dark roasted beans. We do not normally exchange gifts, but this year he was diagnosed with colon cancer (at age 53) and after his surgery, he now has to live with a colostomy bag. While he was in the hospital, a couple of his co-workers (friends) visited him, and one of them did grocery shopping for us, as I was recuperating from surgery at the same time. So I made some pillows for them with fabric that I got at work. I made one for my sister as well. The fabric is from 24" x 24" samples of fabric that is now discontinued, and so I got the samples for free, but if I had had to buy the fabric it would have been $144 to $175 a yard wholesale. I also made some chocolate Habanero hot sauce that one of his employees loves, and so she will be getting some of that in addition to the pillow. The chocolate Habanero chilies are very difficult to grow and they are impossible to find in stores (very occasionally at a farmers' market here), but they have a very distinctive smoky/earthy flavor that a lot of people (including me) love. I grill the chilies over wood/charcoal to intensify the smoky flavor. Anyway, the sauce is rather labor-intensive to make, considering I have to grow the chilies, but I still feel like I'm being cheap when I give it as a gift since it costs me very little to make, other than my time.

I put zippers in the pillows I made, and that was the biggest pain in making those. I've given pillows to people before who did not appreciate them - one person wanted liquor instead.

One year that our family had Secret Santa, I got my BIL's name, and I made him a really nice heavy knit nightshirt, but my sister stole it from him.

Lars, your kind of gifts are the ones I appreciate the most. Believe me, they will know the labor you put in there. This makes it extra special.

I no longer do Christmas shopping. I give my daughter’s the money for their families and they do all of it. With the grandkids getting older and the kids having new homes they know what they want. However, I picked up a mug in a gift shop at a hospital that I love.. I have bought 25 of them to give as gifts. They are called a Swig. They keep liquids hot or cold for hours.. They come in so many colors. I know they will love them.

Up until a few years ago when my husband became ill the kids and I spent at least one day a month at the local woman and kids shelter. It only houses 12 adults and their kids. I'd make a huge pot of soup or stew homemade rolls and off we would go to the shelter. They always ask us to stay and share the meal with them. The boys enjoyed playing with all the kids...it was always a few hours of enjoyment.

This Christmas were going back...around noon on Christmas Eve. I'm making the cheapest thing I can for a crowd. ..Stew...it won't have a great deal of meat in it but it will be full of veggies and tasty. I'm making homemade bread and a big texas sheet cake...

My boys went thru their toy boxes, closet and shelves...tons of toys gently used and clean along with board games and books which they will give to the kids.

I also packed up a bunch of laundry detergent to donate. LOL

We will have a late lunch early dinner with the women and kids and share coffee and cake afterwards. Than Tim my 11 yo will read Rudolph, we'll sing a few songs and head home.

This is the gift I'm most excited about giving. ..to the women and children and to my boys.

I used to share my visits to the shelter in the laundry room and came across an older post a few months ago which brought back happy memories...I knew than I wanted to do it again this year.

Mamapinky, this sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for doing this.

Iris, Thank You but no need for thanks...I have done this many times in the past and I truely enjoy it. Most of the time the women are all respectful and very likeable. Often they will share their stories why they ended up in a shelter... many of which was do to domestic violence. ...but I met a lovely woman with two young kids...she was quiet and reserved, well spoken and prefered sitting at the dining table with her children...quietly...ends up she was very well off..beautiful home, great schools, ect...but returning home after two weeks vacation she found her locks changed on the house..and a for sale sign out front...he took everything. .cancelled her CC's....she had no family and no where to go...she was scared and heartbroken.

I have a tiny gold heart locket that the shelters manager gave me from this woman with a verbal*** Thank You for giving my children peace and laughter during our most troubled days***

I was touched profoundly. ..she had nothing but her few luggages from vacation...yet gave me a locket.

So some people end up homeless for reasons other than the common.

I've been told this woman won the custody battle and was awarded her fair share of assets. ..good for her.

My son's Christmas list included shopping bags that are non-girly. Back story: he does a podcast in which he and a friend review cigars. He doesn't buy them. Companies send them to him gratis for their honest review and sometimes they pair them with different beers. Not my thing, but to each their own. I was delighted to find fabric that I am sure will meet with his approval. I made him six new shopping bags.