Holiday Gift Help Poll

MeaghanandMichael

Let's share what we gave the following people last year for gifts to maybe spark some ideas for others this year?

Mom-
Dad-
MIL-
FIL-
Sibilings-
Friends-
SS-
Other-

Blueyed228

We dontated to a charity last year instead and did a grab for family.  I got my brother and got him clothes. 

But now that my sister has Effie, it will be fun to buy for her!

The grab was fun because it meant we could all open something, but didnt have to stress about getting everybody stuff.  We save the big gifts for birthdays.

MeaghanandMichael

Mom- she collects department 56 houses so we added to that collection
Dad- new LLBean robe and slippers (he needed those so bad)
MIL- framed collage of  professional pics of her family and us from the wedding she had never gotten around to making
FIL- a golf putter
Sibilings- brother - East Bound and Down Season 1, Sisters - cards and we buy for their kids toys and clothes and stuff
Friends- I gave my MOH a burberry scarf, other then that we jsut do SS
SS- booze. every one loves that in my group of friends
Other- Not sure, but this year I really want to get Mike (and I) a new bed. It is not exactly a warm fuzzy gift but he has been wanting one for a while and even has one picked out. He just has been balking at it for whatever reason and he will be psyched!

slubkin

Mom- n/a (died in 2003)
Dad- tibetan singing bowl (he's a buddhist, they are used for meditation)
MIL- yarn organizer (she knits compulsively)
FIL- wii glove (he has cerebral palsy and has a hard time holding things sometimes)
Siblings- I don't think I got my brothers anything last year, I didn't see them
Friends- bought a friend a snuggie for her chihuahua
FI- warm clothes- thermals, fuzzy PJs, etc  (he's always cold in winter)
Other- glass perfume bottle for grandmother (she collects them), sci fi book for grandfather (he has a huge collection, as I do), Vosges exotic chocolates for the office, flower arrangement for my uncle's family

rhodesign

I don't remember off hand what I got people, but I do know that 6pm.com is the best website evah! I did get my friend an REI fleece pull-over that normally would have been 80 bucks for about 20--she's into hiking and lives in Portland, so it was perfect for her.

For J, we have a tradition of where I get him Bulls tickets, so sports or theater tickets are often good. I got MIL tickets for a musical for us both to go to together.

Books are also good. The Stieg Larsson Millenium trilogy books (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc.) are really good.

mrscarter052011

Mom- new shoes from LL Bean
Dad-new shoes from LL Bean
MIL- don't have one
FIL-new coffee pot
Brother-down vest and knit hat (with a matching one for his son)
SIL-knitting needle carrier (from etsy) and a book about making jams
FI-new snowboarding pants, some clothes and dvds.

Pretty boring now that I look at it like this.  Money is tighter this year so I will be more creative.

SarahPLiz

Is it really bad that I don't remember most of these? We gave each parent a framed E-Pic of us and sponsored a family for Christmas in their names. My neices and nephews each got $5 in a card. I didn't get the step siblings anything that I remember. I got my older sister and BIL each snuggies. They were staying with us and we had a snuggie party with board games and beer. I included my little sister in the family sponsorship deal because that's what she told me to do.

The family sponsorship is so cool. I hope I have time and money to do it this year. We go through the Travis County Christmas Bureau to find a family and then get them lots of stuff. My office helped out this year and we totally decked out a set of grandparents with their grandson. Our parents sponsorship send grocery card gift cards to 4 elderly people. 

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Mom- album of wedding photos!
Dad- album of wedding photos!
MIL- album of wedding photos!
FIL- album of wedding photos!
Sibilings- brother - not sure, but he's fine with GCs. I've gotten him iTunes GCs for his last 2 birthdays. Otherwise, I buy him scotch. FSIL1 - hard to shop for, because she has great taste and is really picky. We got her a cashmere sweater last year, which she claimed to like. FSIL2 - H can usually find something good for her because they share a lot of interests, like statistics and kayaking/outdoor stuff.
Friends- Oh come on, I just got them stuff for my wedding! My BFF's b-day is on Thanksgiving and I'm just taking her to dinner. I got her an awesome piece of jewelry as her BM gift. No, it wasn't for my wedding. She LOVES jewelry and I bought it from her other BFF's etsy store - it was something I knew she wanted.
SS- Wouldn't you like to know?
Other-H - I might get him a membership in a wine club, or we might just go in together and buy some stuff off our registry for the house (finish getting our place settings).

maratea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_gift-poll?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:e1855ab7-98b6-466f-9c72-7ac71a124886Post:bc8b1421-d049-4bc4-8c88-1ccd634ca489">Holiday Gift Help Poll</a>:
[QUOTE]Mom- Gift certificate for a massage, some Bath &Body Works lotion
Dad- Gift certificate for a massage, wool socks for hunting
MIL & FIL- gift cert. for a restaurant, bottle of nice wine 
Sibilings- we got my brother a $75 Playstation Live membership, and some cologne I think. SIL and her H- we got them some craft beer and something else, but we (H and I) don't really care for them, so they got the shaft
Friends- Cards. We don't give anything to friends.
Posted by MeaghanandMichael[/QUOTE]

There's a possibility we are skipping the gift-giving part of Christmas this year. We are (hopefully) moving soon, so we'd like to get a new bed and a nice coffee maker. That will be our Christmas present. And we are maybe taking a trip to FL and visiting Epcot and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal. 

LesPaul

Mom & Dad-  Sadly, they passed away many years ago 

MIL- We chipped in with DH's brothers to get her a Netbook (she LOVES it).  I also got her a subscription to Paula Deen's cooking magazine, and some baked goodies.

FIL-  Pictures of DH's kids.

Sibilings- My brother got a giftcard and baked goodies.  We had a dinner with DH's brothers.

Friends- Friends almost always get something edible, either baked goods or some recipe-in-a-jar thing I have concocted.  Sometimes wine, if I find an interesting label or variety - DH's BFF got a wine called 'Bitch' two years ago.

SS- I got her wedding pics off FB (she was married in October) and made iron-on pictures from them.  Then I quilted ornaments with the wedding pics and fabric in her wedding colors.  I also sent bacon jam.

Other-  DH got a giftcard to the BBQ store, and some outdoor clothing he wanted.
ETA:  Oops - forgot the kids.  Mine got clothes, jewelry & GCs, and his got GCs

mrscarter052011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_gift-poll?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:e1855ab7-98b6-466f-9c72-7ac71a124886Post:8bde431e-7295-40fc-a0c2-93a7f4649ccf">Re: Holiday Gift Help Poll</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Holiday Gift Help Poll : Oh!  Great idea.  I know what I'm getting FI's mom this year.  Thanks!  :)
Posted by slubkin[/QUOTE]

I order hers from madbird (and I got one for myself too).  I love it. I can fit all different sizes on needles in it and there were so many patterns to choose from.

anna.oskar

I don't remember what all from last year, but here's this years list so far

Mom-  group gift from us kids, we're getting pictures done and a nice accordion frame. We haven't done family pics in 9 years

Step Dad-  one of those hickory farms gift baskets with meats and cheeses

MIL-  I knitted her a scarf and still looking for something else for her probably a decor/christmas item

FIL-  a custom .22

Sibilings- sister: gourmet chocolates and an engraved ornament
               brother: gift cards to food places (he's in college)

Neice-  a bunch of "choose your own adventure" books and a breyer horse

Husband-  a personal letter from Henry Hill

[Deleted User]

Ooh, good idea, Anna. I'll share my list for this year too. I'm more excited about it than last year's.

Mom: yearly calendar and chicken gift; an awesome antique shell

Dad: personalized calendar of the years' events (wedding, bro's graduation, uncle's wedding)

Stepdad-shirts, a picture of us from the wedding blown up and framed

brother: his favorite toilet paper (long story, gag gift but not really); gift card, maybe a book on poop that I saw at a novelty store

H-Disney!!

Dad's GF's kids: son: Plo Koon star wars figure (who is freakin hard to find), wireless computer mouse; daughter: lunch date per her request, e-book gift card

grandparents: goofy garden frog

unce: waterproof lockboxes for his kayak

I still have to get something for my dad's GF, one set of grandparents, and my aunt. Oh, and my SS when assigned and the calendar will be made after thanksgiving.  Other than that, i think I'm done.

LesPaul

PSA: Snapfish has their 12x12 photo calendars half price until Thursday.  The coupon code is 50FALLCAL. 

Chi_Chi

Mom- Scentsy warmer, clothes.
Dad- A gun he's been wanting. We went all out on him because he helped us soo much on our house.
MIL- Scentsy warmer, new tennis shoes
FIL- BB gun (his request)
Sibilings-n/a
Friends-n/a
SS-n/a
Other-I got J a tool box and me and my parents bought him alot of tools since he had none. I also got him some hunting stuff.

K&J64

Mom- I retouched/enlarged an old photo of her parents and one with her dad and her as a baby and framed them for her - yeah putting photoshop skills to good use! I also gave her something else generic but cannot remember wtf it was right now perhaps clothes, kitchen stuff, movie? I have no clue
Dad- couple blue ray movies and a game for his wii I believe
FILS- Fortunately I don't shop for them. FI gives them GCs every year lol.
Sibilings- I gave one sis perfume, new earbuds for her iPod, and something small. The other I got a nice big cozy sweater and I got her husband a couple DVDs and my nephew some toys
Friends- I don't exchange gifts with friends, but I mail out christmas cards to them all. I do give FI's MOH a gift, and by *I* I mean FI goes out and buys it and puts my name on it.
SS- They're always changing the rules of the one at my job, if I'm allowed, I get booze. For the Yankee Swap at my parents' annual christmas party I usually get booze. mmm booze.
Other- I *think* I got FI a huge coach bag that now weighs 100lbs b/c she never cleans it out, but that could have been for her b-day which is in November. I don't recall. She got me tickets to see Lady GaGa at Radio City Music Hall - A-MAZING!

KaylaSue19

Mom, Dad, MIL - I made them all photo albums from wedding photos.

Grandparents - Wedding photos in frames.

Sibilings- We gave my B/SIL a picture of them kissing at our wedding that one of my photographers was lucky enough to catch. SIL got a curling iron with some other attachables that she wanted. BIL got a new electric razor he had been asking for.

Friends- I only exchange with my 2 closest friends. One got House on DVD, and I think I got the other a bottle of wine.

Other- I think I told H to go out and buy a new fishing pole or something. I have only really surprised him one year with a cuckoo clock. He loves them and had no idea it was coming. 

sarabear23

Last Year

Mom- a gift certificate to the spa she likes to go to
Dad- Coffee mug and starbucks giftcard
MIL- I made her a scarf and we went in with H's brother and sister to get her and FIL a new tv and a Wii
FIL- Barnes and Noble gift card
Sibilings- random gift cards
Friends- BFF got a scrapbook from me


This year

Mom- A glass chicken (she LOVES chickens), and I'm thinking of getting her a scentsy
Dad- this cool Giants coffee cup I found
MIL- I stole her recipe book with all these scraps of paper that she had with recipes on them, and I'm making her a new cookbook from this website (www.createmycookbook.com)
FIL- probably going with BIL & SIL to get him a new recliner since his is falling apart
Sibilings- brothers, I have NO idea, my sister is getting a Giants tote bag, and a blanket
Friends- BFF is getting Bears pj pants that she wanted and a cute thing to hang on the wall that she can put pictures on

reddy123

I get a huge discount in our arena's fan shop so I got a bunch of NBA sweatshirts for my family, a beanie for my brother, and sweatbands and stickers for my friends. Boring, but everyone liked it.

 We did secret santa at work, I got the one name out of around 40 people I didn't know, I tried pretty hard to nonchalantly get to know her, but nothing was there (literally), so got I her cute socks and nail polish.

shaydenise

Mom- Whole new set of dinnerware and some Gator stuff

Dad- Gator stuff and a weed eater

MIL-  some of the blown glass jewelry she loves and Gator suff (see atrend her? ha ha)

FIL-  I think we got him an air compressor

Sibilings- My bro is in the brand name clothes matter stage so we got him a bunch of stuff from Hollister and American Eagle.  His brother? gift cards I think

Friends-  We don't generally exchange gifts, just hang out, but I usually give baked goods

SS- N/A

Other- I got FI a surround sound system since he bought a new big screen on black Friday

sarabear23

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_gift-poll?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:e1855ab7-98b6-466f-9c72-7ac71a124886Post:0a80e6e8-7e78-4ab0-b2b8-8ab30a1c246e">Re: Holiday Gift Help Poll</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Holiday Gift Help Poll : This is a very cool idea Sara!
Posted by kd.joseph[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I was making one for myself, and I decided that I should do one for her too. That way, she can actually look at her recipes without losing anything! haha