For the first time in ages, I'm getting a jump on Christmas shopping!
I'm so excited, as I'm usually scratching my head about what to buy for the few people we do buy for anymore. The older everyone gets, the less they want or need, and it's been a struggle trying to balance it all out while giving useful gifts. Last year we gave all consumables (except to the teens - they are happy with gift cards, and that's easy on us), and that was only slightly challenging with finding items that suited the recipients perfectly and then ensuring delivery in timely fashion.
So far for 2022 gifting, I've got a vintage art deco tea set coming for my mom. She found it online and I told her to just stop looking at it. She knew exactly what that meant, so it'll be hers to unwrap on Christmas morning. Still unsure of what to get for my dad. He'll be having a surgical procedure in January so my mind goes to items that will be comforting to him -- although having had medical issues that sidelined him for much of this year, he's pretty much already got those needs covered. I'll keep thinking.
I've ordered custom Yeti water bottles for siblings and sibling-in-law. They have some really cool designs, so I chose outdoorsy themes for two of them and a favorite dog breed for another. They're personalized with the recipients' first names on the other side. I'm very impressed with the custom Yeti products, having given one to a colleague earlier this year, and having received one as a gift that has my monogram on it. They're very well made, the customization looks terrific, and they're practical.
I'm putting together a basket for my supervisor containing things that she can bake with her kids over the holiday. I've ordered some personalized wooden spoons and the cutest tea towel from Etsy sellers; the towel will have a rendering of my supervisor and her family in front of a Christmas tree -- well, here's a photo that someone submitted in their review of the product. I think it's so cute!
It just feels good to be a little bit ahead of the game ... for once. How about you? Started yet?
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Sueb20
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Comments (4)HUMBUG!! I haven't much Christmas spirit this year. Honestly, I feel pretty well run dry in the well of chipper-pagan-ness. Ya know how you get some times, when you are just flat out of... energy? Life? spirit? enthusiasm? get-up-and-go? Everything?? that would be me. I think the physical and emotional stress of this past year has drained me a bit. maybe I need a vacation????...See MoreKind of OT: I'm so naive in my old age LOL
Comments (19)I do sentinal beach combing, write down and keep track of everything that washes up on the beach. Years ago I went to Florida for the seabean convention, yes, it's real, every October in Coco beach. One of the attendees works cleaning the beach. She had found a "brick". Threw it in the dumpster at the park. Well, when we found out we all HAD to go and look. So we loaded up in 3 cars, drove across town, PAID to get into the park and proceeded to pull everything out of the dumpster she had thrown in. We were looking at bottles, big chunks of something we tried to break open by dashing it against the parking lot, the "brick", which was a very well-wrapped package of very high grade marijuana. It was pretty stinky and rotten. But did that stop us? Oh no, we all had to smell it, touch it. So here we are, a bunch of old farts in a parking lot, professors, lawyers, nurses, throwing around stuff that had washed up on the beach and playing with a couple of pounds of rotted marijuana. The people at the hotel had a good time watching us but luckily noone called the police. I do not know how we would have explained that one!! Honestly officer, we're out here in the pitch dark digging through a dumpster with a couple of pounds of marijuana because we're at a seabean convention!!! Do you think they would have thrown us in jail or just the nut ward? I gotta make reservations for next year, that's a fun convention. Tally HO!...See MoreHAVE: Hope I'm not jumping the gun...
Comments (37)I'm another person who wouldn't mind "vintage" at all. I have a lovely old pink pressed glass bowl on my counter that belonged to my Grandmother, I keep fruit it it. Ashley's favorite "dishes" are my old individual square Corningware casseroles, leftover from my childhood. RuddMD sent me a great brown dripware cookie jar, another of my childhood memories. So, yes, certainly vintage. My house is mostly second hand stuff anyway, it'll fit right in. Plus, the older stuff is so well made, it'll probably last into another generation! Annie...See MoreI'm Tired of Over Decorating for Christmas...Looking To You!
Comments (49)Another here who has both scaled down and clarified my decorating for the holidays. I realized a few years ago that 1) I don't even LIKE red and green(!) 2) living in subtropical Florida the entire classic theme of snowmen, reindeer, frosty whatever was completely irrelevant to our life 3) my passion in decorating and in life is to celebrate the natural beauty and grace of what *is* in this area, ie shells, driftwood, sand and the loveliness of what surrounds us. So...I went through my boxes of stuff collected almost at random through the years and tossed/gave away all of it. Then over the course of several post-holiday sale seasons I zeroed in on what I truly wanted. My colors for decorating are now silver and white-period. I had always done my tree (natural, thankyouverymuch, I had enough of those fakes growing up :), with tropical and nautical ornaments so that was already in place. But I switched from multicolored blinking lights-my husband used to call them my "eat at Joe's Diner" holiday lighting. Now it's clear lights that read white, along with only white/light colored ornaments, silver and glass balls and that is it. No tinsel, no green or red ornaments. Well, a very few special sentimental things like picture ornaments of my kids when they were young. But otherwise, silver, white and tropical tree. As for decorating, I several sparkly gift baskets with shells, one basket of pine cones with a pretty holiday bow on top, pillar candles with some white garlands, a basket spray painted white with glass ornaments heaped, a shell wreath at the front door and a hurricane candle with a garland on top of a silver runner on the dining room table. It's enough. As my daughter commented yesterday when I finished 'Mom, it looks so elegant and classy'. I also splurged this year on a bunch of half-price Bath and Body Works aromatherapy diffusers with holiday scents. So now in the evening I sit in my peaceful LR, watching my beautiful tree, surrounded by my serene and minimal decorating and inhaling the gentle scent of cinnamon, vanilla and balsam--yes I put in all those scents around the living area. And I love it! Ann...See More
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LynnNM
last yearOk, as I was doing up some dishes I found two gifts that I received last year for Christmas that I love and use so much. These are more practical gifts but have been so handy this past year!
This great 8“ across All-Clad pot. I use it for everything from soups, to sauteing or frying things (great with those high sides). Easy to clean, too.
And, this great zester, a stocking stuffer, which works wonderfully on fruit and hard cheeses.
User thanked LynnNMLynnNM
last yearlast modified: last yearI just knew I’d find good gift ideas here, thanks Ida!
Morz8 mentioned a Graza 'Drizzle, Sizzle' olive oil set, and because my DS and DiL are big foodies, I can order a set for them, along with a small food processor (they have a big one), AND search Etsy for a personalized kitchen towel similar to the one Ida is gifting! Along with a gift card for each, I’ll have their gifts finished!
I’ve just ordered all 3!!! this personalized towel but obviously with their names and initial.
Thanks again Marz8!!!I’ve have had this same FP in black for years and love it
User thanked LynnNMnekotish
last yearI have quite a few things already. Our family leans toward the practical with a dab of frivious. I bought each of my daughters a wooden cling wrap/foil dispenser cutter thing after they both admired mine.
I have an Echo show for one DD and an Always Pan for the other. I'm getting my DD's fiance a pro sports streaming pass thing, which I don't understand but my nephew is taking care of getting it. A two-pack of headlamps and a new computer chair for my husband. I'm currently looking for a set of good quality beer glasses for my other DD's boyfriend. I have a La Neige set for my sister which consists of a night time lip mask and daytime tinted lip moisturizer. I bought a ceramic honey pot for my other sister at a cute little pottery shop that I visit about once a year. Oh, and from the same store, I have added to each of my daughter's pottery collections from that shop with a honey pot for one and a garlic jar for the other. I like to be done well ahead of time but historically when I do that I end up over buying because I just can't stop! LOL.
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jojoco
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mtnrdredux_gw
last yearYes, thanks Sue. I'm not a huge fan of fleece. But I love a good quality cotton blanket, and will be ordering some of these - they are lovely
Sueb20
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Sueb20