gifts for family members??

[snoopy5386]

So it is that time of year again, I have to figure out what to get all the relatives for christmas....Let me start by saying not getting them gifts is not an option (I know some families do only gifts for the kids, well DD is the only kid in our immediate circle) and also giving money to charity in their name is not an option (DH is against this suggestion and says it is a gift that makes us feel good).
We have to buy for:
My mom (divorced)
My dad (divorced)
My 2 Grandmas (80 and 85)
My 2 Aunts and Uncles (in their 50s/60s)
My sister (age 26 lives at home with my dad)
DH's mom and stepdad
DH's dad and stepmom
DH's stepsister (22 lives at home)
DH's sister (30 lives in Florida, so it needs to be something cheap to mail)
cousins ages 14 and 9
Baby cousin (age 15 months)
Friend's kids (age 7 and almost 2)

I already do a photo calendar for all of the adults listed which costs around $15 each. I also need to get them "something" else, but it can't be something too expensive since we have so many folks to buy for. The kids will all get something (either toy or gift card) for around $20. The adults are all so hard to buy for - none of them really have hobbies (or cheap ones) and they have just about everything they need....Joint gifts for married couples are fine, just need to come up with something. I have NO idea what to get anyone this year....I can't go out shopping on Black Friday because we are away visiting family that day. The sisters will all probably get gift cards from us, which is fine, but no way to buy them on sale.....The parents spend at least $300 each on our family so I feel like I must get them something in addition to the calendars.....

Ideas??

[momxx5]

I am big into monograming this year. For instance....."Grandma Sue" embroidered in the corner of a fleece throw......makes a great gift, a nice curl up blanket for watching tv and even folded over a chair looks nice.

My DD got a nice thick bath towel (JC Penny brand) with her name of it, as a birthday gift for her 5th birthday. She still uses it and loves it long after playing with her toys. So even for the cousins you buy for that would be neat gifts.....something of their own.

Good luck.

[spare+a_pair]

I have to agree on the monogram towel or blanet for the kids. My boys got towels one year and blankets the next from an aunt and they LOVE these. You could even do beach towels if you find a great deal on some.

[hanutedmansionmomma]

food: hickory farms, tastefully simple...

lottery tickets

good luck!

we started kid and grandparent/parent only gifts a few years ago and love it (none for brothers/sisters, only lottery tix in a funny card) what more to adults need anyway? thus the food suggestion, if you must

[EthansMom]

Originally Posted by hanutedmansionmomma

food: hickory farms, tastefully simple...

lottery tickets

good luck!

we started kid and grandparent/parent only gifts a few years ago and love it (none for brothers/sisters, only lottery tix in a funny card) what more to adults need anyway? thus the food suggestion, if you must

I did $1 scratch lotto tickets last year and they were a huge hit!

[KelliLee702]

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

So it is that time of year again, I have to figure out what to get all the relatives for christmas....Let me start by saying not getting them gifts is not an option (I know some families do only gifts for the kids, well DD is the only kid in our immediate circle) and also giving money to charity in their name is not an option (DH is against this suggestion and says it is a gift that makes us feel good).
We have to buy for:

My mom (divorced)
My dad (divorced)
My 2 Grandmas (80 and 85)
My 2 Aunts and Uncles (in their 50s/60s)
DH's mom and stepdad
DH's dad and stepmom

For the above: A really nice Family Photo in an inexpensive Frame.

My sister (age 26 lives at home with my dad)
DH's stepsister (22 lives at home)

For the above who live at home: Maybe something nice for their own room. Again, Photo Frames are so nice to have, A Cork Board in their room color, A white Board/Cork board combination with some nice magnets for the White Board Side.

DH's sister (30 lives in Florida, so it needs to be something cheap to mail)
Does She like to read? Order on line some of her favorite authors and have them shipped direct.

cousins ages 14 and 9

Both my kids (13 & 10) LOVE iTunes! COSTCO has 4 - $15 Gift Certs, for $55.(I think?) You can always put the extra away for another gift giving time.

Baby cousin (age 15 months)

Books are always my favorite for those under age 5.Christmas Ornaments with the date on them are great to give every year and watch their collection grow until they move out on their own!

Friend's kids (age 7 and almost 2)

Age 7 friend: Maybe a board game? They are on sale almost everywhere now.

I already do a photo calendar for all of the adults listed which costs around $15 each. I also need to get them "something" else, but it can't be something too expensive since we have so many folks to buy for. The kids will all get something (either toy or gift card) for around $20. The adults are all so hard to buy for - none of them really have hobbies (or cheap ones) and they have just about everything they need....Joint gifts for married couples are fine, just need to come up with something. I have NO idea what to get anyone this year....I can't go out shopping on Black Friday because we are away visiting family that day. The sisters will all probably get gift cards from us, which is fine, but no way to buy them on sale.....The parents spend at least $300 each on our family so I feel like I must get them something in addition to the calendars.....

Ideas??

I hope this gives you a few ideas.

[prncess674]

I would make gift cards for a night over for dinner. I have stopped buying most "things" and offer up my time. If these people don't need things as you stated then give them gift of time with your family. Most grandparents want time with the grandkids so make up special certificates where you plan a whole day with "grandma" and I am sure she will be thrilled.

[snoopy5386]

Originally Posted by prncess674

I would make gift cards for a night over for dinner. I have stopped buying most "things" and offer up my time. If these people don't need things as you stated then give them gift of time with your family. Most grandparents want time with the grandkids so make up special certificates where you plan a whole day with "grandma" and I am sure she will be thrilled.

thanks but we live too far away from family for this to work.

[prncess674]

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

also giving money to charity in their name is not an option (DH is against this suggestion and says it is a gift that makes us feel good).

If DH doesn't like the idea I would tell HIM to come up with a better idea.

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

The adults are all so hard to buy for - none of them really have hobbies (or cheap ones) and they have just about everything they need.

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

thanks but we live too far away from family for this to work.

Are these people really expecting you to buy them something. Why are you expected to read minds on what they want? Why not get immediate family to exchange names so that each person could get one really nice gift verses 10 $20 gifts? We don't exchange names but everyone, even the adults, makes a wish list of what they would like. You may be suprised by what is on the list.

[Jill in Chicago]

Stop the madness!!! Every year I feel like giving people "permission" to drop out of the gift giving craziness. If people do not need anything, but a gift is expected, then a simple gift is enough. If someone is truly into gifts they will greatly appreciate a thoughtful gift like the calendar idea, which is PERFECT!

When is enough enough? Just because someone generously gives you a $300 gift you do not have to give an expensive gift back.

How about homemade food items for the older relatives. Even if they are diabetic there are special goodie recipes on the internet perfect for them. I have always found that food is a hit with men.

I understand the whole don't give a charity gift in someone else's name. (They don't like the charity you choose, or don't believe in it, or don't want their name on the list.) Okay I get that. My point is you have x amount of money to spend during the holidays. Doesn't it make more sense to bake some banana bread for a relative that doesn't need a thing, and take the leftover from your x amount and give it to the food pantry?

I know I am totally on my soapbox, but why would we give and give to folks who don't need, while there are hungry kiddos right in our own neighborhood.

And I do understand where everyone is coming from. If we did not get my SIL a nice gift she would absolutely flip out. We tried years ago to stop the gift giving to each other and she burst into tears. We tried to set a limit and she would always "ooops," go over, "and I'm going to give what I want to give." Now we let her. We set the limit. She agreed. We stick to it.

[Mkaz]

I know it sounds odd, but what about fleece blankets? My BIL and SIL did that for the kids one year and they loved them.

[snoopy5386]

Sigh and this is why I am starting to hate the holidays....I get a bunch of stuff that I don't want and won't use, my DD gets more toys than our house can hold and I sit here for months trying to figure out what to buy for my relatives.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Yes, it is expected that I buy gifts for everyone.

Since all the parents are divorced we end up doing 4-5 little christmas celebrations over the course of a week as we visit everyone. So I can't show up at my aunt's house for dinner with a gift for my mom and my sister, but not my aunt or grandma, ykwim??

This also really rules out the whole secret santa, pull names out of a hat type thing as well. It doesn't really work when you have gatherings of 3-5 people with the whole parent/child dynamic....

Food generally isn't well received either. There is already the whole excess of food that comes with the holidays (everyone going home with tons of leftovers, etc), we travel over the course of a week's time so that also throws a wrench in that idea. And doing something like "a recipe in a jar" won't work either, because with the exception of 2 households, nobody cooks anything. Almost every meal goes from the freezer to the microwave to then be eaten on paper plates.

The kids are easy and in reality so are the sisters, it is the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. that are the hard ones. Keep your ideas coming!

[Cinderelly5507]

I know you're doing calendars, but I just ordered photo mugs from Kodak Gallery using the $15 off coupon you can sign up for. I got 2 mugs for $19.90 shipped... They look really nice and came within a few days... DD's grandparents will love them!
How about body stuff? My grandmother loves Oil of Olay, and my Pap uses Brute... I'm getting my aunt a yankee candle... they have codes for buy one, get one free. ummmm how about movies? There are some really good deals on pre-orders right now (harry potter, star trek, etc...) You could make up movie night baskets. Good luck! I feel your pain!

[RobinFabulous]

Have you thought about personalized ornaments for the grandparents? Or the Grandmothers? With all of the grandchildren &/or children's names on them? I do ornaments sometimes (the ones with stockings they write the names on) and they're pretty well recieved.


The fleece throws can be pretty cheap, I got several from Kohl's on black Friday for $5, but the monogramming was expensive, unless you know somone who does it from home (just the initials was $7 or $10)

We just had a craft fair last weekend, personalized checkbook covers were popular, the keychains that have a big enough loop to pull it over your hand, also they had cute plastic buckets they decorated with the laser cut initials and dots (or some said Merry Christmas) and those could be filled with the calendar, one of the $10 Dvds or a mug and some chocolates?


I have 12 teachers this year so I'm trying to be creative... Last year I got really nice travel mugs from Kohl's ($7) and filled them with sale (CVS) chocolates, then put them in bags with ribbons.. They were popular. This year I did the buckets with candy coated sunflower seeds in little packs and some odds & ends I've picked up. One teacher got married so I got her a personalized ornament, one had a baby so I did an ornament for her as well

[MSSANDRA]

What about getting everyone the same thing only differnt. One year we got EVERYONE on our list sleepwear. Much easier and we of course cattered to taste and only had to go a few places. Also you could do sweat shirts, books, etc.that way. Maybe food gift baskets for all. Fruit or cheese for adults, snacks for the kids. A stop at a craft store for baskets and wrap and then a food store and you are done. Modify the one to mail!