F/U to Christmas List Post....What Kind of Gift Giver are you?

specialk84

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_fu-christmas-list-postwhat-kind-of-gift-giver?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:e259c72b-eece-4bea-ae07-f81a29109b91Post:b70e81c8-257f-42a4-9a7e-99a94e8c4771">Re: F/U to Christmas List Post....What Kind of Gift Giver are you?</a>:
[QUOTE]Depends on who it is. <strong>For my nieces and nephews, I really want their parents to tell us what to buy -- there's no way we can know what games and toys they already have or what their interests are when they change so quickly.</strong> My sister is great about giving me actual names of things to get my niece; my SIL can generally give me broad categories though often no specifics.  My parents and sister always let me know what they want, and I let them know. But DH's family is more of the "surprise me" kind, which I find very difficult since I usually feel like I don't really know them well enough to go beyond jewelry, sweaters, candles...all the standard stuff. Dh likes to be surprised and I DO know him well enough to know what he wants but is probably not going to buy for himself so I usually nail it with him. He almost always buys me jewelry and not to be a totally ungrateful wretch, but there are often other things I'd rather have since I have tons of jewelry and money has been kind of tight for us the past couple of years. So I've started making more of a point of letting him know that I'd love x. I think my favorite birthday gift from him was the brand-new toilet for our hall bathroom that totally changed the look of the bathroom -- and I'm pretty sure it was his least favorite to give! (I picked it out myself since it's the bathroom I use most often.)
Posted by tenofcups4me[/QUOTE]

<div>H and I have asked SIL no fewer than four times for some suggestions for her three kids. The older ones just want money, but we're on a really tight budget this year. Giving a physical gift where the price isn't obvious makes us look less stingy than saying, "Here's ten bucks."</div>

midgetthemighty

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_fu-christmas-list-postwhat-kind-of-gift-giver?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:e259c72b-eece-4bea-ae07-f81a29109b91Post:ffbb3f08-23aa-49a0-856a-523aa44541fa">Re: F/U to Christmas List Post....What Kind of Gift Giver are you?</a>:
[QUOTE]I also like to make things. This year, I'm making a Rubik's Cube tissue box cover for my brother. He saw one on BBT and wants it. <strong>I'm also making a Space Invaders hat for H. That'll be a surprise.</strong>  My dad's all-time favorite gift was when I was super poor and told him I'd bake him anything he wanted each month. He got to pick whatever he wanted, and he didn't have to share. He ended up with a variety of cakes, pies, cookies and breads.
Posted by specialk84[/QUOTE]

I'm going to need to see a picture of this when it's finished or he has it. That sounds awesome.

Megbo2012

I like to do a bit of both.  I like to get FI clothes (practical) and techy stuff. He likes to dress nicely, and he's a bit of a geek.

Some people have everything though.  So that's tough because it'll probably be a surprise, but possibly something they wouldnt use because anything they would want, they already have.

[Deleted User]

I think the best gifts I've ever given were the sentimental ones, so I go for those when I'm totally stuck. A couple years ago, I made a calendar of pics for my dad (mostly my brother and me growing up, with other family members thrown in). Him opening that was one of the few times I've ever seen him cry (although he swears he wasn't).

For my mom, paint her a picture and she'll love it.

Kate61487

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_fu-christmas-list-postwhat-kind-of-gift-giver?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:e259c72b-eece-4bea-ae07-f81a29109b91Post:5a01a215-7aee-41cf-a434-7297fc27e2b4">Re: F/U to Christmas List Post....What Kind of Gift Giver are you?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think the best gifts I've ever given were <strong>the sentimental ones</strong>, so I go for those when I'm totally stuck. A couple years ago, I made a calendar of pics for my dad (mostly my brother and me growing up, with other family members thrown in). Him opening that was one of the few times I've ever seen him cry (although he swears he wasn't). For my mom, paint her a picture and she'll love it.
Posted by Seshat411[/QUOTE]

ooo those can be good too.  I gave my mom a woven collage blanket of pics of all our family members last Christmas, she loved it so much she cried.  It sparked such a reaction that we then got one for my grandma for her birthday, then MIL for mother's day, and now this year for Christmas we're getting my other grandmother one and H's cousin-in-law is making one for HER mom, after seeing MILs.  It's been quite the hot gift.  (Walmart photo - it's like $100, but the quality is great)

tenofcups4me

Depends on who it is. For my nieces and nephews, I really want their parents to tell us what to buy -- there's no way we can know what games and toys they already have or what their interests are when they change so quickly. My sister is great about giving me actual names of things to get my niece; my SIL can generally give me broad categories though often no specifics. 

My parents and sister always let me know what they want, and I let them know. But DH's family is more of the "surprise me" kind, which I find very difficult since I usually feel like I don't really know them well enough to go beyond jewelry, sweaters, candles...all the standard stuff.

Dh likes to be surprised and I DO know him well enough to know what he wants but is probably not going to buy for himself so I usually nail it with him.

He almost always buys me jewelry and not to be a totally ungrateful wretch, but there are often other things I'd rather have since I have tons of jewelry and money has been kind of tight for us the past couple of years. So I've started making more of a point of letting him know that I'd love x. I think my favorite birthday gift from him was the brand-new toilet for our hall bathroom that totally changed the look of the bathroom -- and I'm pretty sure it was his least favorite to give! (I picked it out myself since it's the bathroom I use most often.)

mica178

It depends.

My sister always asks for gift certificates.

My BFF always has a wish list, so I buy off of it because she's constantly thinking of thingss that she wants but cannot justify buying on her own.

But for H and my parents, I like to surprise them with something that I think that they'd want but wouldn't necessarily buy themselves.