6th Annual Christmas Thread

[Priorityonecb]

We've rented a mountain cabin for Christmas. Sledding, tubing, hot tubbing with the snow falling, fires every night with smores.

We've also done Williamsburg. Colonial areas, Busch Gardens Christmas Town, Great Wolf Lodge. It will be cold but not necessarily snowy.

You can do ski resorts without skiing necessarily. There are tons of other activities and if you get one with a kitchen you can lessen costs that way. We would throw a stew or chili in the crockpot then spend the day sledding, shopping, snowmen, ice skating etc...then back to the room to warm up with dinner and hot cocoa. Then each night we'd hot tub with the snow falling all around us. Magical memories!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

well Tammy that sounds fun!! Thanks!

 

[Priorityonecb]

If you are considering Colorado, Copper is our favorite area. Everything in one spot. Once you are checked into your room, everything you could ever imagine is right outside your door!

We also liked Breckenridge, but there is more driving to and from there.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

If you are considering Colorado, Copper is our favorite area. Everything in one spot. Once you are checked into your room, everything you could ever imagine is right outside your door!

We also liked Breckenridge, but there is more driving to and from there.

I wasn't thinking anywhere in particular...except for when I thought of NYC...we went to CO about 2 summers ago...went to Breckenridge, Vale, Colorado Springs..but it wasn't snowing..

 

[LilyWDW]

Oh,... I hate that feeling that you have almost forgotten someone/something!

I felt like my stomach had dropped. Luckily I remembered NOW and not closer to Christmas. I also now have to buy for a NEW KITTEN! Just adopted him Sunday and I am already in love.

You know what I WANT for Christmas? For the house to sell so I can move to Indiana.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I felt like my stomach had dropped. Luckily I remembered NOW and not closer to Christmas. I also now have to buy for a NEW KITTEN! Just adopted him Sunday and I am already in love.

You know what I WANT for Christmas? For the house to sell so I can move to Indiana.

I will be praying for your house to sell...ours is on the market also and I am praying that it sells soon! We had a couple bring an offer~then we haven't heard from them since...weird...anyhoo...yes..we want to sell now..keep me posted if it sells!!! I know you are ready to be finished with it so you can leave.

 

[todpatcam]

We'll be there Dec 28 thru Jan 2; our son is playing in a baseball tournament at ESPN. We'll be staying at All-Star resort - can wait to see all the Christmas decorations

 

[tchrrx]

DD13 is getting a Cuisinart ice cream maker. It was on sale for $50, so I bought it. I am planning on adding an ice cream recipe book from Williams-Sonoma, an ice cream scoop, and some toppings. I'll also purchase some clothes for her later. I've ordered three books for her (free! I used the "Scholastic free book offer on some boxes of cereal that I bought). Other than that, I don't know what else she'll be getting.

Dniece (1 in January) is getting a Fisher Price Disney princess 4-wheeler. I bought it when she was about 2 weeks old. Our Academy had them for around $25 (regular over $100) with "Do not sale until Black Friday" stickers on them. I think that they forgot to put them out, so they were trying to get rid of them.

My in-laws are getting tickets to Beauty & the Beast, and we'll take them out to dinner after the show.

I will be watching this thread for more ideas for a 13 year old & a 1 year old.

 

[ktrask]

Last year I had bought 3 gift cards for nieces from Old Navy. As Christmas got closer our budget was tighter. I still needed nephew gifts, so I went to Old Navy with the gift cards. Got a sweatshirt and t shirt for each nephew (2 of them), yoga pants with a matching shirt for oldest niece (her job is at a gym), and cozy pj sets for my teenage nieces..and still had enough on the gift cards for stocking stuffers for DD. I was happy with it, and so were nieces and nephews.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

DD13 is getting a Cuisinart ice cream maker. It was on sale for $50, so I bought it. I am planning on adding an ice cream recipe book from Williams-Sonoma, an ice cream scoop, and some toppings. I'll also purchase some clothes for her later. I've ordered three books for her (free! I used the "Scholastic free book offer on some boxes of cereal that I bought). Other than that, I don't know what else she'll be getting.

Dniece (1 in January) is getting a Fisher Price Disney princess 4-wheeler. I bought it when she was about 2 weeks old. Our Academy had them for around $25 (regular over $100) with "Do not sale until Black Friday" stickers on them. I think that they forgot to put them out, so they were trying to get rid of them.

My in-laws are getting tickets to Beauty & the Beast, and we'll take them out to dinner after the show.

I will be watching this thread for more ideas for a 13 year old & a 1 year old.

Love the tickets to Beauty and Beast...how exciting!!

 

[kt_mom]

Still have no idea for my inlaws or my parents. Or our sisters/aunts.

I usually do $10 gift cards for DD's Teachers. Last year she had three, this year she has 5 and now DS has 2. So they are going to get $5 gift cards and we may bake some treats to go with it.

I did go ahead and purchase DD's Christmas Eve PJ's today on American Girl and got 4 books for her on sale for about $2/$3 each so that was a good deal. So that's a big chunk of my budget taken care of now. Those things are expensive but she loves the matching set.

 

[100AcreWood]

My girls circled 1/2 the AG catalog. Does anyone remember when they do free shipping?

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

I agree! We get so busy and into 'things' we sometimes forget to focus on Him during this time and why we even celebrate... Does either of your girls play with dolls, or doll houses yet, or at all? that would be one gift with several small things to go with it that won't be overboard...books that are at their age level or in their interest and you can read together at night or on weekends for family time...one year I got the kids the Pooh Bear set on CD and we loooooved it!!! We played it in the car on long trips to my mother's house...they still quote it and we crack up...so any classic stories on CD are really good~Focus on the Family has a few that are really good...are either of them artsy? Maybe an art basket? Or a started set for Embroidery, or lessons with someone to Crochet or knit...hmmm...do you live in an area where the Broadway shows come to perform or tickets to sporting events if you are into that...I am sure you will get more ideas from our crafty friends!

Oh,... I hate that feeling that you have almost forgotten someone/something!

Classic stories on CD's are a good idea, thanks

 

[bas71873]

My girls circled 1/2 the AG catalog. Does anyone remember when they do free shipping?

I believe it's usually late October/early November.

 

[kkmcan]

I'm really struggling this year for ideas. Usually by this time I've got a good start at least to some ideas for my kids, husband, parents and in-laws. So far nothing.

There aren't any major new electronics that my kids are crazy about- thank god! They got small tvs a couple of years ago and the Xbox 360. We already had a Wii.

DS likes sports stuff and he got a Broncos jersey he'd been wanting last year. He might come up with a certain jersey or hat but that's about it.

I thought the Broadway play was a good idea but Tucson just doesn't get very many. I looked and there weren't any coming up that I thought DD would like.

Same with tickets. We don't have any major league sports teams or good concerts. We don't get those here. They all are in Phoenix.

So I'm thinking of buying the usual new pjs, ornament, book, one or two new Xbox games and then AP's for Disneyland. Not sure if dh is going to go for that but I sure hope so. I think the kids would love it since we have no DL trip planned for next year. We've never given Disney tickets as a gift before. DD would love it because she's been dying to go, not sure about DS. He loves Disney too but loves the gift opening thing.

I also don't have any ideas for dh. Got him some candy, new slippers, flashlights etc last year. Nothing that exciting. The year before he got the golf driver he'd been wanting and a fancy light for his helmet at work.

This year is gonna be hard for sure.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I like the Disney tickets! I would like to open that!!

 

[Dvcmbr09]

We gave our two teenage DD WDW AP's, they were excited but were more excited to open up tangible gifts.

 

[ah1126]

I got a stained glass ordainment for my parents today at a local craft fair, so one thing for them so far.

Tonight at Target, some of the dollar spot was 50% off. I was able to pick up a few stocking stuffers!

 

[la79al]

I"m curious about something here. I'm wondering how many people here really think about what the person you are buying for is into before you shop and how many are like 'okay, I have to shop for a 4 year old boy, I see a boy toy on clearance, appropriate for a 4 year old boy so I buy it and 4 year old boy is done'. Probably moreso for kids than adults and probably moreso for the random kids on your list, not your own. I feel like I'm more picky than most people when it comes to picking out gifts and I'm thinking maybe I am stressing myself out unnecessarily.

 

[bas71873]

I"m curious about something here. I'm wondering how many people here really think about what the person you are buying for is into before you shop and how many are like 'okay, I have to shop for a 4 year old boy, I see a boy toy on clearance, appropriate for a 4 year old boy so I buy it and 4 year old boy is done'. Probably moreso for kids than adults and probably moreso for the random kids on your list, not your own. I feel like I'm more picky than most people when it comes to picking out gifts and I'm thinking maybe I am stressing myself out unnecessarily.

For my side of the family, I can go with whatever. My parents love "thoughtful" gifts....photo albums, mugs with the kids pictures on them, things like that. I usually do a mix of thoughtful and then something I know they want or need or something they would never get for themselves (i.e. concert tickets). For my brother's kids, I know what they like and can shop without asking brother what they are in to. They are just easy.

Now, my husbands side of family, they are way more materialistic and want what they want and I get a list and I know I need to stick to it. Takes all the fun out of things if you ask me, which is why I've asked for the past two years to stop the gift exchange and the exchange of gift cards, especially since we don't see these people but a few times a year (and they are retired and live close by....but that's another topic). Most of DH's side of the family cannot afford to shop for their own families, let alone the extended and my DD is the youngest at 10 so it's not like we have to play up the craziness.

For the past two years I have and am again, going to suggest the no gift exchange this year and have decided that if I'm shot down, then next year I will just ANNOUNCE that we are not purchasing gifts for anyone and do not wish for gifts to be purchased for us. A family get together is all I can handle and I feel like I buy gifts that they want, but still aren't appreciated. Perhaps this is why I'm just not "feeling it" this year yet and usually I have my lists already going...