Christmas Shopping '09

[bas71873]

Anyone have any suggestions for what to get my dad? He like golf, but doesn't play (go figure). Loves the Miami Dolphins. Likes action movies but have shown no interest in what came out lately. I'm just at a lost, some help will be highly appreciated.

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!

 

[bas71873]

As soon as I get one done I'll post pics for you!

Can you post instructions on how to make one too ;0)? I'd love to do this for my niece & nephew? Maybe. If it's not too hard!

 

[PrincessPeyton]

Fancy Nancy. I may have to check her out. I think we have 1 book that she got at a freebie book fair. Have to do more exploring on her.

My daughter LOVES music, loves drama so I'm also thinking of taking her to a play somewhere too. We are about 1.5 hours from Wash, D.C., so I'm researching off broadway shows that may hit that area.

My thinking cap is ON

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!

\
I love buying "experiences" instead of gifts for my dad and daughter because it's not stuff that will be laying around the house that they don't use. I try to add something special to each event. For example, we have a minor league baseball team that my dad loves to go see and they had a buffet and you could go down to the field on father's day. And since we are close to Philly I took my daughter to see Cinderella at the Ballet, before we went to the hotel across the street for a tea party. It was awesome and made the day even more extra special!
BTW, my daughter is spoiled as well! And she loves Fancy Nancy too. It's a good combination between toys and books.

 

[MelAnderson]

This is such a great place to discuss Christmas shopping! I am planning on completing my list by the end of October.

I want to add "experiences" for my family this year so I am tentatively planning a one day trip to Great Wolf Lodge during Christmas break and I really want to see the Radio City Christmas Show this year.

For DS7, I am finally getting him a Wii. I can't decide what games to purchase. I am thinking of Wii Resorts, but that might be redundant because it already comes loaded with Wii Sports. Toy Story sounds interesting too, so I am keeping an eye out for any TRU or Amazon sales. I wish that Wii had a good "karaoke" game for Wii, but so far I haven't seen one with great reviews yet.

That would pretty much be it for him, with the exception of his Christmas Ornament and maybe an air hockey table and a City Lego Set.

For his teachers, I use my bank points and just get everyone gift cards.

 

[SuperRhino]

I've already started! My inlaws are getting lap quilts made by me and both of the fronts are sewn. I just need to send them to my mother for finishing.

My hubby is hard to get for! He's the kind of guy that either wants nothing or just goes out and buys the hot new item of his dreams the day it comes out! So I'm thinking I might save my pennies and get him the richard petty driving experience at Disney since we'll be there the first week of December! He's not a huge nascar fan but he loves fast cars and I think he would love it!

DD5 is into everything these days! She'll be getting barbies, some cd's she loves music, the new tinkerbell movie that comes out in October, and whatever else I pick up between now and then!

My parents are hard since they have tons of money and get whatever they want! I'm thinking of some kind of experience tickets! Not sure what yet!

Plus we're going to disney the week after thanksgiving so Christmas will be small!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I've already started! My inlaws are getting lap quilts made by me and both of the fronts are sewn. I just need to send them to my mother for finishing.

My hubby is hard to get for! He's the kind of guy that either wants nothing or just goes out and buys the hot new item of his dreams the day it comes out! So I'm thinking I might save my pennies and get him the richard petty driving experience at Disney since we'll be there the first week of December! He's not a huge nascar fan but he loves fast cars and I think he would love it!

DD5 is into everything these days! She'll be getting barbies, some cd's she loves music, the new tinkerbell movie that comes out in October, and whatever else I pick up between now and then!

My parents are hard since they have tons of money and get whatever they want! I'm thinking of some kind of experience tickets! Not sure what yet!

Plus we're going to disney the week after thanksgiving so Christmas will be small!

I bought my DH the Richard Petty ride along experience one year for a Christmas Disney trip and he LOVED it. I wrapped up the ticket and brochure or something in a shirt box, he was really suprised.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

good ideas so far... but we have some stumpers too!!! We will have to get creative this year!! AAAhhhh, buying for those who have everything!!! Have ya'll checked into the calendars? I forget what you call them, but I did one for my parents one year a while back. You create a calendar with photos...picture per month...it was really cute, wasn't expensive and lasts all year!!!!!! Saturday it is 5 months til Christmas!! Which means those of us with Oct deadlines on our shopping have around 3 months to get it all completed!!!

For those of you with hard to buy for family, if Disney is part of your Christmas, could you do Disney $$$$$??

 

[PrincessPeyton]

good ideas so far... but we have some stumpers too!!! We will have to get creative this year!! AAAhhhh, buying for those who have everything!!! Have ya'll checked into the calendars? I forget what you call them, but I did one for my parents one year a while back. You create a calendar with photos...picture per month...it was really cute, wasn't expensive and lasts all year!!!!!! Saturday it is 5 months til Christmas!! Which means those of us with Oct deadlines on our shopping have around 3 months to get it all completed!!!

For those of you with hard to buy for family, if Disney is part of your Christmas, could you do Disney $$$$$??

If Disney is part of your Christmas, I am JEALOUS!
Anyway....I have done the calendars in the past and I always get them (along with my Christmas cards) from Vista Prints, they are by far the cheapest I have ever seen them. They are very time consuming but worth it! I wonder if you could use some type of digit scrapbooking as the picture?

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Disney isn't really part of our Christmas, per se,... we were gonna do Jan, but Mike wanted to see it all decorated again, so that's when we are going. BUT...That's all I want!!!!!! Ha!!!! The kids will get stuff there, so we won't buy as much to go under the tree. My middle one will get Legos, dd will probably get those AG twins, and my oldest??????So, instead of several small things, just a couple of big ones!!! But, I have seen several people on the Dec threads that are gonna be there over Christmas week and it IS Christmas for them. I had thought about it one year, but the crowds are too daunting for me...I 'll go and see it before it gets nuts, or wait and do a Jan/Nov trip when it's slow.

 

[rainydayplay]

Okay...other than a few things I need for my classroom...I think I'm through with back to school shopping. My DD's kindergarten list was outrageous! (It included 2 disposable cameras.)

I just ordered a couple of things from the Fisher Price website. I used the promo code in post #68, but I found it odd that it didn't say what the promotion was or do anything to let me know if it was a valid number or not. Hmm. Oh well.

As soon as I get DD off to her preschool/daycare, I think I'm going to go see if our local target has any of these toy sales everyone is talking about here...plus I might go check out Toys R Us. I'll report back. LOL

You know...Maybe it's a good thing that DD will have only 2 days of fall break in October versus my five...

 

[pooh4evr]

I went by Target the other day and they ahd some toys on clearacne- so I got DDs 1 and 2 some Pixos, DD#3 some of their wooden playfood sets, and a few other small things- I love to start early the only problem is remembering wher I hide the things!

 

[PrincessMom4]

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.

 

[nettii]

Oh Im glad to see Im not the only one who starts shopping so early. This is the very first year I havent started by now. I told my boys yesterday that I need a Christmas list by Friday! Now after reading these posts Im felling very urgent to get my shopping done! 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 know they will want sports equipment, Under Armor, Wii games ect. What I need to stay away from are those 5$ DVD's I buy a ton of and we NEVER watch!
Nettii

 

[mama2mulan]

She loves to color but she's loaded up on that stuff, including a nice art desk. Santa brought a kareoke machine last year which was a big hit. She loves to dance and play dress up, but again, we have it all. She's not into baby dolls. She has the biggest imagination EVER and can play with her little disney and animal playsets for HOURS!

I am a little late responding to this one. DH's family was in town and I have been away from the boards.

Anyway, I love that your daughter is creative. In my prekids life I was a graphic designer and "played" every day at my job. So for your daughter I immediately thought of two gifts. One was art lessons. There might be someone who teaches out of their home like an art teacher from school or maybe a local artist. Ask around. There are usually people who like to make a little cash on the side that would love to do arts and crafts with your daughter.

Also a Fisher Price kids digital camera. Both of my girls have them and love them. They are near indestructible. You would be amazed at the pictures little kids take. You can download them to your computer and she will feel like such a grownup with her own pictures.

Hope that helps!

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

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

OOOHHHH love the FP camera thing!!! This makes me wish we were doing Disney AFTER christmas!!! I did think about just buying all 3 of them the reg cheapo Disp. cameras from Wal-Mart for the trip. Of course,, gets who is gonna get to keep up with them? ME!! of course!!!! Well, that's okay. I like to get them a cheap little something before we go...I like to get activity books, or a new leapster game, anything fun for the plane and airport waits... a camera would be fun...they could start with an airplane picture!!!! Thanks for that wonderful Idea!!! I like the idea of Art Lessons as well!!! My dd is also into drawing and creating. She is sooo funny...she doesn't use crayons...only map pencils. She says she doesn't like the way they feel or look on her paper. Wow, I loved crayons...still do!!!!

I am gonna start in the next week or so shopping...like I said earlier, my hubby usually keeps the kids one weekend and they go do fun stuff and i get it all in one day. But, I may start earlier if our TRU has any of our Lego picks marked down.
Way to go ladies!! Even if you aren't shopping yet, get those lists made and have an idea of what you want to get for EVERYONE on that list. This is what stresses us the most, I think. I have gotten to the point I just flat out ask..what do you really want, that you normally wouldn't ask for, or what do you need? Like my mom...she doesn't have the extra $$$ right now for it, due to their $$$ situation, but doesn't every lady like to get nice new bras, or a good pair of sunglasses? This is what I get her for all her occassions. Guys are harder, since they don't use stuff like that, but the idea is, we all know people that NEED basic things. And right now with people having money woes, christmas can be practical. It is usually much appreciated as well!! So, just remember that when making those lists..it doesn't have to be a frivolous gift...you may have someone that needs a GC for gas, or groceries.
That was my 2 cents for the day!! Ha!!! Be a practical Santa!!!

 

[MelAnderson]

For Mama2Mulan, what Karaoke machine did you buy? TIA

 

[PrincessPeyton]

Okay...other than a few things I need for my classroom...I think I'm through with back to school shopping. My DD's kindergarten list was outrageous! (It included 2 disposable cameras.)

I just ordered a couple of things from the Fisher Price website. I used the promo code in post #68, but I found it odd that it didn't say what the promotion was or do anything to let me know if it was a valid number or not. Hmm. Oh well.

As soon as I get DD off to her preschool/daycare, I think I'm going to go see if our local target has any of these toy sales everyone is talking about here...plus I might go check out Toys R Us. I'll report back. LOL

You know...Maybe it's a good thing that DD will have only 2 days of fall break in October versus my five...

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)

 

[bas71873]

\
I love buying "experiences" instead of gifts for my dad and daughter because it's not stuff that will be laying around the house that they don't use. I try to add something special to each event. For example, we have a minor league baseball team that my dad loves to go see and they had a buffet and you could go down to the field on father's day. And since we are close to Philly I took my daughter to see Cinderella at the Ballet, before we went to the hotel across the street for a tea party. It was awesome and made the day even more extra special!
BTW, my daughter is spoiled as well! And she loves Fancy Nancy too. It's a good combination between toys and books.

Hmmm.....the experience thing might be a super idea. Have to do some research.

 

[bas71873]

She loves to color but she's loaded up on that stuff, including a nice art desk. Santa brought a kareoke machine last year which was a big hit. She loves to dance and play dress up, but again, we have it all. She's not into baby dolls. She has the biggest imagination EVER and can play with her little disney and animal playsets for HOURS!

I am a little late responding to this one. DH's family was in town and I have been away from the boards.

Anyway, I love that your daughter is creative. In my prekids life I was a graphic designer and "played" every day at my job. So for your daughter I immediately thought of two gifts. One was art lessons. There might be someone who teaches out of their home like an art teacher from school or maybe a local artist. Ask around. There are usually people who like to make a little cash on the side that would love to do arts and crafts with your daughter.

Also a Fisher Price kids digital camera. Both of my girls have them and love them. They are near indestructible. You would be amazed at the pictures little kids take. You can download them to your computer and she will feel like such a grownup with her own pictures.

Hope that helps!

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

Thanks for art lessons idea. I'll investigate that too. Digital camera is a good one too. Putting on my idea list

 

[bas71873]

For Mama2Mulan, what Karaoke machine did you buy? TIA

I think that might have been a quote from my post that didn't quote. Anywho, DD got the Hannah Montana karaoke machine and LOVES it. It comes with one mic, but I bought an extra AND the mic stand. Good thing cause when she has friends over, they don't fight over it and I get double the "singing"