I am the adult kid here (scary, ha) with a 16 month old and I didn't have a job to go back to after maternity leave with no prospects (I'm an architect and 80% of architects in my county are currently laid off) so things are a bit tight here as well and I am doing the handmade/homemade gift thing as well. Both of my nieces have their ears pierced so they are getting a hand painted and lined jewelry box and an inexpensive pair of earrings for christmas and my parents/inlaws are getting a book of photos of our son (blurb.com allows you to publish "real" nice quality books and I have been working on it on and off for nearly a year adding photos as I get them - this one covers just his first year). That's about it. My parents are financially much better off than we are. We moved back to a very high cost of living area and purchased a house about a year before the height of the market and now I'm laid off whereas my dad is retired with a very nice pension and my mom bought her company a few years ago and is doing well with it and they are VERY generous with us. If the situation ever flips - well let's put it this way, there is no way I'd spend money on an expensive trip while my parents were living out of a crock pot because they could not afford a new stove! (though I would not get them a Wolf). I say as a parent you need to listen to your instinct. When we make sacrifices for our children it's because it feels right and because we want them to have a good life. It sounds like you have given them a good start to a good life and they are not babies anymore. You do what makes you feel right... and my parents are pretty tight-lipped about what they do for each sibling because frankly it's no one's business except the people actually involved. I think this is a good policy - your other kids do not need to know if you are helping out one of your kids who needs it more. JMHO - and it should not be part of gifts, just something you do because you can (no raiding your own retirement fund because then the burden will be on your kids to take care of you LATER) and want to. As far as gifts, I urge you to sit down and think about what would make YOU feel good to give them. I'm sure there are things you can come up with that don't cost a lot of money. If it's just about the money making you feel good then you should probably reevaluate what the holidays are to you. There is a LOT in between "socks n underwear" and giving an extravagant gift you cannot afford.

Very nice stitching. You made me smile as I just picked up a whole roll of cloth with the idea of doing some "Ukrainian style" embroidery on it. It is very pricey to purchase when you can find it and the labor to do it is quite intensive as you have to deal with counting out stitches (basically a counted cross stitch) to make very wide bands of pattern. I've done a small cloth a few years back and enjoyed it so when I found an unopened tube of cloth at the local thrift, I decided to do more. Sometimes it is nice to switch to something different but still in the stiching line. Thanks for adding this subject.

Thank you all so much! I riffed off Beagles’ suggestion and included many others: I found a basket at HomeGoods that can eventually hold towels, toilet paper, magazines, etc. Lined it with four nice kitchen towels (including one that says “Meals and Memories are made here”). Purchased a nice frame and included the following poem printed on parchment: Bread that your cupboards will always be full, (Gift Certificate to Ulele – ML that was an amazing suggestion – and likely one they wouldn’t find on their own any time soon) Candle that your home will always have light, (Voluspa ‘Maison Blanc – Saijo Persimmon’ Candle) Coin that you may dwell in good fortune, ($200 Home Depot Gift Card – they already have a lawn mower, but will need a weed eater once we help them install a fence for their dogs) Honey and Salt that life shall always have sweetness and flavor, (Orange Blossom Honey from Florida – if they like it that will make a terrific and inexpensive gift for them to send to family members at Christmas; also found some smoked sea salt and pepper & garlic seasoned sea salt that sounded useful and interesting) Wine that joy and prosperity may reign forever. (bottle of pinot grigio – I had to google wine that beer drinkers would like since they have yet to acquire a wine drinker’s palate!) Although married over 30 years, DH and I do well remember those first days of needing SO much. However, DS/DDIL have been married for three years (first lived in an apartment and then military quarters at previous assignments) so have most of the staples and furniture already. This is their first home purchase – driven mostly by the fact that it’s cheaper to buy in Tampa than rent and the waiting list for military quarters is 10 months’ long. I don’t think this will be their forever home but – you never know! We definitely plan to purchase and plant a tree during our first visit – and now I know to bring a new broom as well! OT @runningplace: my stepfather recently passed away after a very unexpected, painful, violent, and unnecessary illness (he and mom were married for 47 years)… you have given me clarification on how my DH can craft boxes for all of DSF’s (12!) grandchildren with the rough milled wood we brought home from his shop milled from a cherry tree in their front yard. Coordinates – perfect! Thanks again, everyone – you are truly awesome! My best, Michele

I am notorious for buying one for me, one for you! LOL.. but I didn't buy much for myself this year. The few things I did buy (some chanel makeup, a few clothes) were things I'd have bought anyhow. I put a lot of time into gifts for my family as this has been a tough year for all of us.. and I added some extras to my donations. I sent a huge box of long underwear to an organization a friend works with for the homeless, donated to the American Heart Assoc, a local organization supporting Breast Cancer patients and another supporting research for pancreatic cancer. It's been a rough year for my friends also. I was supposed to have my second eye surgery Dec 17-- so I really scurried to complete my shopping early-- unfortunately, my surgeon had to cancel/reschedule. He added 12/24 as a new surgery date but that just wouldn't work. I'll be rescheduling for late Jan/early Feb.. I guess THAT is my present to myself lol.