Christmas Shopping '09

[nettii]

I love to give "experiences" as well. I asked my boys a few months ago what they got for Christmas last year they had to think long and hard about it but when I asked them what they go two years ago they knew right away a trip to Disney. And as much as I wanted to cut back last year on expense I think I spent just as much as the year we gave them Disney!go figure!A trip or experience will last a life time in their hearts a toy will only last a short time. Just MHO!
Nettii

 

[Monny2AE]

I second the FP Digital Camera!!! We got one for my son before our trip to Disney last year and he LOVES it! Santa may have to bring one for DD- although she's only 2 (just shy of 3 by Christmas) it may be worth it to avoid the arguments we have when he gets it out.

I also like the idea of gifting experiences instead of gifts. One of our favorite gifts a few Christmases ago was from my in laws. They gave us gift tickets to the aquarium and it was such a treat! I always give my mom a handmade gift certificate for a trip to the movies on me. She loves going to the movies and it lets us have some extra mom-daughter time.

 

[DisneyQueen1320]

Well I have 2 boys (3,7) and shopping for boys can be hard. We are thinking about buying the Wii. I really don't like video games for kids, but they seem pretty active. I rather my kids play outside or even in the house w/toys. Please help me w/this.

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

Well I have 2 boys (3,7) and shopping for boys can be hard. We are thinking about buying the Wii. I really don't like video games for kids, but they seem pretty active. I rather my kids play outside or even in the house w/toys. Please help me w/this.

i might get flamed for saying it, but i think it's a good idea. we bought ourselves a wii this year after our income tax rebate came in. while my kids don't play it yet- an uncoordinated 3 year old and an already extreamly active 2 year okld, they do like to watch us play it.....and there's some pretty cool games out there. i've worked up a sweat with the boxing that comes with the game thats witheh system.

 

[PrincessMickey]

I usually like to get shopping early too. But we are moving next month from PA to CO so the less I buy now, the less I have to pack and unpack later. So no shopping for me yet until September.

I would go ahead and get the wii. Oldest DS loves the wii. I play the WiiFit and boys like to play with me too. I like that it gets them up and moving. The next game that I want to buy is the Disny DDR. Can't get much better than dancing to Disney music.

 

[mama2mulan]

For Mama2Mulan, what Karaoke machine did you buy? TIA

I am still getting this posting thing down. Sometimes the quote function doesn't work for me. Argh. So no it wasn't my original post though I saw it answered already.

Julie (me) DH DD (7) DD (5)
First family trip to Disney Nov 1-5 2009 It's a secret!

 

[Tink_fanatic]

My dad (and my husband) are so hard to shop for too. I usually end up with gift cards for both. For my dad, you can't go wrong with Lowe's . Also, he loves country music and would never purchase concert tickets for himself, so I have done those too for both he and my mom. They seem to really enjoy that and again, something they wouldn't buy for themselves?

Hope that helps some!

Thanx, it does. Dad doesn't like to shop much either, he's a bit of a homebody but today he was talking about some new tools so maybe a gift card to Lowes will be awesome. But we like for everyone to have something to open on Christmas morning. Thinking about getting ma and dad a new coffeemaker. They have one but the handle is coming off the pot so they have a hard time trying to use it now.

 

[PrincessPeyton]

So I stopped my Target this evening and didn't see anything on clearance that was worth the price, maybe next mark down. I did notice that Fancy Nancy was on sale but I don't want to spend $35 on a doll when I am thinking about an AG doll too!
BTW, I didn't know there was a Disney DDR! It's good??? And does anyone have Bendaroos? my DD wants them but I don't know if I want to spend the $$$ on them.

 

[bas71873]

And does anyone have Bendaroos? my DD wants them but I don't know if I want to spend the $$$ on them.

I don't personally have the Bendaroos nor have I seen them, but I have a few friends on FB whose kids have them and they seem to be a HUGE hit! I believe there were some posts here on DIS after Cmas last year that they made a good gift too

 

[bas71873]

Thanx, it does. Dad doesn't like to shop much either, he's a bit of a homebody but today he was talking about some new tools so maybe a gift card to Lowes will be awesome. But we like for everyone to have something to open on Christmas morning. Thinking about getting ma and dad a new coffeemaker. They have one but the handle is coming off the pot so they have a hard time trying to use it now.

Speaking of coffee, for my dad and DH last Cmas (w/their gift cards ), they both got personalized coffee mugs. Walgreens.com photo center has a mug that you can personalize with photos. Up to 15 I believe so I did one for each of them with tons of photos of DD and our trip to WDW and other family pics. I think they were around $15 and turned out really cute!

 

[rainydayplay]

A disposable camera or two?? for kindergarten?? We need a few things like pencil crayons, eraser, and a glue stick (at most). We always get them new bookbags and shoes. We usually stock up on kleenex as we usually are asked to bring in a xouple of boxes.

Yes. TWO disposable cameras. (Some one reminded me of the wonders of digital cameras...why don't they have one the kindergarten teachers can use?)

Entire list: 5 boxes of 8-count crayon (it's the 24 count that are on sale); a box of 8 count, bold, washable markers (10 count on sale), "large" package of yellow #2 pencils (what is a "Large" package, anyway? 24? 50? 144?); 4 1 subject notebooks (solid colors only -- which are the ones on sale); 2 packages heavy duty construction paper, 2 bottles glue, 1 pair blunt tip scissors, 1 watercolor paint set; 1 Primary writing tablet; 3 rolls paper towels; 1 package each 1-gallon and pint Ziploc bags; 1 roll of tape; 2 bottles Germ-X; 1 box Kleenex; 6 folders with brads; 1 pack Expo markers; 1 pack skinny highlighters; 1 spray bottle of 409, 1 backpack, and 2 disposable cameras.

I've got to actually sit down with the list and see if I've got everything.

Now...add to this that I am a teacher (although different school in a different system). My students are low-income/parents may not care. I will never have 100% of my students have everything they need for class (or even everything I have requested! And since I teach middle school English, all I ask for is a 3-ring binder, dividers, loose leaf paper, note cards, pens and pencils, with optional crayons, color pencils, markers, glue, scissors, rulers, etc for their kids and option Kleenex for the classroom.) While they have 1 subject notebooks on sale, I buy bunches of them -- At the moment, I have 180 1 subject notebooks. I also buy special "Welcome to Our School" pencils for the 7th grade (they are moving up from the elementary school) plus a cheaper style (probably plain yellow pencils this year), pens (I can order 100 "misprint" click pens for $5.99), and wedge cap erasers. On the first day of school, I give every student one of each so that I don't have to have that "well, I can't do your assignment because my momma hasn't been to the store yet and I don't have supplies" argument that will go through the first two weeks. Every year. Without fail. *grr*

Then there's also stuff I buy for my classroom. And my Amazon Prime membership is due in July. July is a rough month.

All that said...

I did go into Toys R Us yesterday for their "Christmas in July" sale. Was I missing something? The only fab find I found was Scrat from Ice Age 3. Small plushie, regularly 5.99 for 3.99. He was the only one in the whole box -- plenty of baby t-rexes and Sids and a Manny, and the stitching was coming loose, so I will have to perform surgery on Scrat before I can give him to my DD.

Target? DVDs were on sale, so I bought The Secret of NIMH and The Barbie Diaries. Also got one of those toy microphones that you *can* put batteries in and it will amplify your voice, but it will likely never see batteries. (My DD is loud enough, thank you.) I'd bought her a Hannah Montana microphone last year -- found it at Walmart and it had lip gloss in it (no voice amplification!), but she tore the foam off the top pretty quickly. Hopefully, this one will last a little longer.

 

[rainydayplay]

I had considered getting the boys 20" flat screens for their rooms but I seen a study on GMA that said kids with out tvs in their rooms have 30% less BMI and higher GPA's - so there goes the tv idea

I would say for that it all depends on your kids. I had a TV in my room and was underweight and graduated 2nd in my high school class. But, I still got out and did things, and didn't just chill out in my room all the time watching TV.

I am going to the fisher price site later today, did you find anything good???

We stopped by TRU yesterday with my DD to pick up a swing set with her bday money and they had some good sales so I am heading back up today to get Crayola coloring pads (B1G1) and a Crayola Dry Erase ABC board to practice letters (50% off)

My DD loves Little People and begs almost every day for more people, so I bought her the wedding set and the summer set. There were a few other things that would be worthwhile if she was interested in them.

I should probably just get her a bunch of art supplies this year. She loves to draw, color, paint...whatever!



For those comments on the digital cameras, am I wrong, or does the FP camera only do thumbnail-sized pics? I wanted to buy one for my DD last year for her birthda, but my mother talked me out of it -- and I read a bunch of reviews that the pictures were small and not great quality. This year for her birthday, I bought her a cheap 7.0MP off brand digital camera. I'm not expecting great things out of it as far as it lasting forever or anything (I spent twice as much last year on a name-brand digital camera that didn't even last 6 months for me.) She loves it...loves taking pictures with it...hates carrying it around, so it was a lot smaller and fit well in my purse.

 

[skip323]

Well I have 2 boys (3,7) and shopping for boys can be hard. We are thinking about buying the Wii. I really don't like video games for kids, but they seem pretty active. I rather my kids play outside or even in the house w/toys. Please help me w/this.

We never allowed video games in our home either...until we saw the Wii in action. My dd10 has a bff whose family has one and they are the most "sound", responsible people around....and their kids are all doing extremely well academically. That mom had me watch how the Wii worked and I loved it! It keeps kids moving and in the winter sometimes it is difficult to get them active. There are many days where the kids cannot go outside for recess due to freezing temps or too much snow and then at home they don't either. Instead we, now, do a game on the Wii. Granted, I imagine one could do all of that activity (tennis, bowling etc) sitting down but we don't! We do sit for the racing games but that is about it. In the summer months the Wii is rarely used (unless the weather is nasty out or too hot...not at all a problem this year...it is too cold this summer)!

We really enjoy the Wii! LOVE DDR and Wii Fit

 

[skip323]

Now...add to this that I am a teacher (although different school in a different system). My students are low-income/parents may not care. I will never have 100% of my students have everything they need for class (or even everything I have requested! And since I teach middle school English, all I ask for is a 3-ring binder, dividers, loose leaf paper, note cards, pens and pencils, with optional crayons, color pencils, markers, glue, scissors, rulers, etc for their kids and option Kleenex for the classroom.) While they have 1 subject notebooks on sale, I buy bunches of them -- At the moment, I have 180 1 subject notebooks. I also buy special "Welcome to Our School" pencils for the 7th grade (they are moving up from the elementary school) plus a cheaper style (probably plain yellow pencils this year), pens (I can order 100 "misprint" click pens for $5.99), and wedge cap erasers. On the first day of school, I give every student one of each so that I don't have to have that "well, I can't do your assignment because my momma hasn't been to the store yet and I don't have supplies" argument that will go through the first two weeks. Every year. Without fail. *grr*

I really do understand your frustration with this! My kid's lists are CRAZY and I also work in low income school with lots of "no supplies" situations. I, however, have to say that I think low income does not necessarily = parents may not care....though I sometimes feel that as well. I think we have generations of families where emphasis has not been education so supplies are the last thing that is thought about. And, yes, I know there are many parents who figure the teachers will give it to their kids so they don't have to worry about it. But as I have watched what has happened with the economy this past year, I have to say that I think many people (low income and middle class) have gotten way over their heads in the "trying to keep up with the Jones' " type of life. So our kids come to school with the Ipods and the Apple Bottoms and the newest/ hottest "kicks" but no supplies. And they are judged by their peers as being acceptable because they LOOK the way they should.

I hit Staples every year with my educator card so that I can stock up on supplies for students. I know it isn't right because sometimes I struggle to get the things my own kids need but...it is what it is and I always buy extra supplies for my both dd's teachers as well to make up for families that didn't get everything. Whew! Between the beginning of the school year stuff and the early xmas shopping that I LOVE to do, and an August bday...we ALWAYS begin the school year a wee bit....LEAN!!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

As far as the video games/tv/ Wii situation... I think, all things in Moderation I was totally against all that stuff too. But, My dh let the kids get the ps3....I set a time for them and then it's off. You have all heard me talk about how hot and humid and nasty it's been out here.... Well, they swim in the mornings, evenings, or both, but mid-day it's just too hot for them to be out in the bald open sun. Our pool has NO shade by the way!!! So, I don't think it's wrong for them to play for a little while during the day.They are out playing in the pool,so it's not like they are laid up gaining 5# a week with this thing. My big deal is the arguing of the darn game That has led me to offer to give it away I have considered the Wii for Christmas this year tho....I personally want the Toy Story game!!!!
So , to each his own with that. If you think your family would enjoy it, by all means..get it. Don't worry about if someone else's family doesn't allow it. We all have different rules, for different reasons.
I feel for all of you getting supplies!! Our lists here are rather long as well....but being a hs family, we don't have to do that, and I can get stuff as we need it...not all at one time like ya'll have to do. That makes is so much easier on the pocketbook!!!!
Keep generating those great ideas! We are really getting some good ones!!!

 

[rainydayplay]

I really do understand your frustration with this! My kid's lists are CRAZY and I also work in low income school with lots of "no supplies" situations. I, however, have to say that I think low income does not necessarily = parents may not care....though I sometimes feel that as well. I think we have generations of families where emphasis has not been education so supplies are the last thing that is thought about. And, yes, I know there are many parents who figure the teachers will give it to their kids so they don't have to worry about it. But as I have watched what has happened with the economy this past year, I have to say that I think many people (low income and middle class) have gotten way over their heads in the "trying to keep up with the Jones' " type of life. So our kids come to school with the Ipods and the Apple Bottoms and the newest/ hottest "kicks" but no supplies. And they are judged by their peers as being acceptable because they LOOK the way they should.

I hit Staples every year with my educator card so that I can stock up on supplies for students. I know it isn't right because sometimes I struggle to get the things my own kids need but...it is what it is and I always buy extra supplies for my both dd's teachers as well to make up for families that didn't get everything. Whew! Between the beginning of the school year stuff and the early xmas shopping that I LOVE to do, and an August bday...we ALWAYS begin the school year a wee bit....LEAN!!!

I know low income does not equal parents don't care. I used it like I did as a combination..the two are reasons to me why they will come in and not have any supplies at all. I know as educators who absolutely love what we do and the people we do it for and hate having to think that anyone could not love our students --especially their own parents! Sadly...in the case of the ones I teach...I know it to be true in several cases. I have had one whose parents didn't want him unless one needed him for something. Three students (siblings) whose father wasn't in the picture that I was aware of and mother spent more time in jail for who knows what than at home (and those kids thought it was a good idea to walk to school in a terrible rain storm that had buses stranded and the start of school delayed and all of us at the school in the halls because there was nowhere large enough to put all the children who were there and still be safe and have enough teachers to watch them. Why did they walk? Because the bus hadn't come and they didn't have a phone to get the message that the school sent out and no one was home to tell them they should at least stay and let the rain slack off.) I had one who told me that she and her brother would not get anything for Christmas, but her half-sister (by their mother's new husband, and these two kids live in the same house with their mom, stepdad, and half-sister) was getting $200-300 worth of stuff. One last year completed the last month without any supplies because he'd left his backpack at his dad's house and no one in his family could be bothered to get it for him. Several other kids went the last month without paper because their parents (supposedly?) wouldn't go buy it. (And this year, I'm trying to make sure I have enough of those 15 cent 1 subject notebooks to get me through the year -- I will sell excess for a quarter, just as I sell pens and pencils. They take care of the stuff they spend their own money on than stuff that's given to them, and when I gave regular pencils out for those who "needed" them, and they would say "I have a pencil, but I'd have to get it out of my bag...so I'll just take that one." I do NOT make any money off the supplies I sell (and figure the above 10 cents per notebook is more going to offset the cost of all the stuff I dole out per term buying basic supplies for 140+ students.)

But the "best" one...one of the smartest students I had 3 years ago disappeared for a month or two. Her mom moved out of the school district and didn't bring her to school or transfer her from our school to another. She was held back in 7th grade because she missed so much school. She comes in the next year pregnant. I talked to her about it, asked what her family thought...oh, Mom's soooo happy! Because she had a medical excuse, she didn't fail again for absences. Her sister also came to us that year. Every time the one was out (doctor's appointment, bed rest, etc.), the sister was out, too. And where A could catch up from being out (and I advocated for her not repeating 7th grade), B could not or would not or whatever. So she failed 7th. At the start of the school year last year, the mom came in after both girls had missed the first two weeks and said that she wanted to withdraw them because she just couldn't get them to go to school. They had to explain to her that kids couldn't just quit because they didn't want to go to school at 14 and 15 years old...and that if they didn't start coming, she'd be in jail.

Can I definitively say that all of the above examples (and there are more!) are examples of parents that don't care? Not necessarily. But it doesn't shed the best light in their general direction. Now, can we just get the people who think we should be paid by how well our kids do on a standardized test to realize that the most important thing in our kids' world may not be whether they can correctly fill in a bubble? I heard a story last year of a parent who got so upset with his/her 5th grade child that the child was kicked out of the house and had to sleep out in the cold.

We are roughly 70-75% free/reduced lunch...and we have students who drive better cars than most of the teachers do, so I completely understand having students with great clothes/shoes/gadgetry and yet no school supplies. (One of our F/RL students a year or so ago drove a fairly new BMW.)

The biggest thing I hate about Staples is that we don't have one anywhere near here.

I thought about buying some extras for classmates...but I think I may volunteer to help supply crafty-type things and other odds and ends. I loved that a different Kindergarten in the same system my DD is going to be in asked for donations of googly eyes, felt, pipe cleaners, and other crafty things (but no disposable cameras...) Maybe it would be a good idea to just get a donation going for a good digital camera...

Okay, yeah, that was pretty OT. But sometimes we need it, yeah?

 

[rainydayplay]

To make my last post feel a little more relevant (and, well...it got me to thinking...)...

How many of you donate to some organization for Christmas? Last year, I did Operation Shoebox and Angel Tree. (And we were going to sponsor an elderly/shut-in that was in need, but the needs of the ones available for adoption when I found that were way beyond what we could donate (like...rennovating the bathroom). If you donate, do you start trying to buy things now (like all the on-sale school supplies for Operation Shoebox...hmm...) or start setting $$ aside now for those like Angel Tree where you need to know measurements/wants/needs/etc.?

 

[Tink_fanatic]

Yes. TWO disposable cameras. (Some one reminded me of the wonders of digital cameras...why don't they have one the kindergarten teachers can use?)

Entire list: 5 boxes of 8-count crayon (it's the 24 count that are on sale); a box of 8 count, bold, washable markers (10 count on sale), "large" package of yellow #2 pencils (what is a "Large" package, anyway? 24? 50? 144?); 4 1 subject notebooks (solid colors only -- which are the ones on sale); 2 packages heavy duty construction paper, 2 bottles glue, 1 pair blunt tip scissors, 1 watercolor paint set; 1 Primary writing tablet; 3 rolls paper towels; 1 package each 1-gallon and pint Ziploc bags; 1 roll of tape; 2 bottles Germ-X; 1 box Kleenex; 6 folders with brads; 1 pack Expo markers; 1 pack skinny highlighters; 1 spray bottle of 409, 1 backpack, and 2 disposable cameras.

I've got to actually sit down with the list and see if I've got everything.

All my DD was asked to bring for Kindergarten was 1 box of Kleenex, 1 bottle of hand sanitizer, 1 box of ziploc bags, 1 package of baby wipes and 1 box of crayons. No book bags or paper or any of that other stuff.

Wow, I woulda had a fit if they requested all that stuff for DD Kindergarten class. I don't think they even ask for all of that in the 3rd grade. Wow, that just blows my mind!!

 

[rainydayplay]

All my DD was asked to bring for Kindergarten was 1 box of Kleenex, 1 bottle of hand sanitizer, 1 box of ziploc bags, 1 package of baby wipes and 1 box of crayons. No book bags or paper or any of that other stuff.

Wow, I woulda had a fit if they requested all that stuff for DD Kindergarten class. I don't think they even ask for all of that in the 3rd grade. Wow, that just blows my mind!!

I know. I think it's the most expensive list in the area. I was just in shock because, where I teach, we're not allowed to use Germ-X anymore because there were kids somewhere eating it and getting alcohol poisoning. We're not allowed to use 409 or Clorox wipes or Lysol or anything else that we didn't get directly from our school board because of children's allergies. (I cheated and used the 409 I bought for DD's kindergarten when I was cleaning my classroom earlier...and then I forgot to bring it with me. Hopefully, they won't go in and confiscate it. I figured in two and a half weeks, we'd be good as far as allergies.)

 

[bas71873]

To make my last post feel a little more relevant (and, well...it got me to thinking...)...

How many of you donate to some organization for Christmas? Last year, I did Operation Shoebox and Angel Tree. (And we were going to sponsor an elderly/shut-in that was in need, but the needs of the ones available for adoption when I found that were way beyond what we could donate (like...rennovating the bathroom). If you donate, do you start trying to buy things now (like all the on-sale school supplies for Operation Shoebox...hmm...) or start setting $$ aside now for those like Angel Tree where you need to know measurements/wants/needs/etc.?

We donate. DD's preschool always adopted families. One per class so we always shopped together for that. I wanted to do Angel Tree last year, but could never find a darn tree . We just put money in all the salvation army pots we saw. This year, I am determined to find a tree and let DD6 do all the shopping! I have a friend who takes her kids on Cmas morning, BEFORE they open presents (they are older and don't believe in the big guy anymore) to a homeless shelter and they serve food.