Marseeya
<font color=blue>Drama Magnet<br><font color=deepp
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2005
- Messages
- 5,209
How does your family handle gift exchanges? Do you buy for everyone or do you draw names? Or do you skip extended family gift exchanges altogether? Do you set a price limit?
On my side of the family, we've been drawing names for the past few years between my sister & DH, my mom & dad, and DH and me. Sometimes we include my uncle and his DGF. We usually try to set a limit on the amount. Then everybody buys something for the kids.
My sister alternately cracks me up and frustrates me to death with our gift exchange!
First thing she does after we exchange names is she figures out who everybody else has. Then she tries to direct the exchange by trading names. After that, she'll come up with a list of what everybody should buy everybody else. She's easy to ignore, but it's still pretty hilarious.
We drew our names last night and we'd barely had the names drawn from the hat when she was asking, "Who did you get? Who did you get?"
For some reason, her 9 yo DD took charge of the drawing (control freak in training ) and wanted us to write a "wish list" of 4 things. So I think we may avoid my sister telling everyone what to buy from now on.
On DH's side of the family, we actually got kicked out of MIL's family's gift exchange.
DH used to paint ceramics (very good quality, he sold a few pieces for decent $$$), so one year he gave a set of something (Santas or angels) to the family member whose name he drew and I guess it caused a minor uproar after we left because nobody could tell if it came up to the set dollar amount. 
We didn't even bother explaining that it was worth hundreds rather than the $20 limit they'd set.
On FIL's side, we don't draw names, but just outright buy gifts. It used to be just he and his wife, but now it's just him.
On my side of the family, we've been drawing names for the past few years between my sister & DH, my mom & dad, and DH and me. Sometimes we include my uncle and his DGF. We usually try to set a limit on the amount. Then everybody buys something for the kids.
My sister alternately cracks me up and frustrates me to death with our gift exchange!
First thing she does after we exchange names is she figures out who everybody else has. Then she tries to direct the exchange by trading names. After that, she'll come up with a list of what everybody should buy everybody else. She's easy to ignore, but it's still pretty hilarious. We drew our names last night and we'd barely had the names drawn from the hat when she was asking, "Who did you get? Who did you get?"
For some reason, her 9 yo DD took charge of the drawing (control freak in training ) and wanted us to write a "wish list" of 4 things. So I think we may avoid my sister telling everyone what to buy from now on. On DH's side of the family, we actually got kicked out of MIL's family's gift exchange.
DH used to paint ceramics (very good quality, he sold a few pieces for decent $$$), so one year he gave a set of something (Santas or angels) to the family member whose name he drew and I guess it caused a minor uproar after we left because nobody could tell if it came up to the set dollar amount. We didn't even bother explaining that it was worth hundreds rather than the $20 limit they'd set.On FIL's side, we don't draw names, but just outright buy gifts. It used to be just he and his wife, but now it's just him.
