Need Family Santa Present Ideas

[mominwestlake]

Each Christmas Santa gives each of our children 2 gifts apiece and then one for the family. Past years Santa gifts have been things like a wii, computer, Flip video camera, a hot chocolate maker, etc. Ours 4 kids are ages 7, 11, 13, and 16. The 2 youngest believe and the 2 oldest don't- but they still look forward to the santa gift. I have absolutely no ideas this year. A trip won't work. They don't all like wii so there isn't 1 game I could get the family (was considering wii fit for awhile).

Does anyone else do a family santa gift? If so, what do you do?
Would Santa give gift cards to places like the movies, DQ, etc?

 

[minniebeth]

A gift basket for a family night? Pehaps a gift basket with a note from Santa including something like dinner out (gift card) to your family's favorite restaurant then either a movie (gift card) or movie rental (gc), one or two board games, stuff to make a favorite dessert like ice cream sundae bar or s'mores, etc.

Or tickets to an event (sports, concert, show) that you can all go to?

My family has enough stuff, and family time comes at a premium with my kids ages so we enjoy doing things together specially now and making the memories. My kids are really enjoying this approach to gifts for birthdays and holidays now.

 

[PixiePlanner]

We always have a family gift too. My parents did one when I was young. It was usually a board game then.
My children have developed a fascination w/ nutcrackers. So, one Christmas, our gift was a Green Bay Packers nutcracker. DH was impressed. Another year, it was an assortment of movies for movie nights. This year it will be a new board game: Pictureka.

 

[GoofyMomInOhio]

Our family Santa gift this year will be tickets to see Disney on Ice in January. Good luck!!

 

[jme829]

I was thinking tickets somewhere too....how about an indoor waterpark if you have one close by (or a night at a waterpark hotel)? I took my kids to Kalahari overnight during spring break last year in early March and they had a blast, it was colder than snot out side and lots of snow, but it was like being in a tropical location indoors! Perfect way to help with cabin fever!!!

 

[mominwestlake]

I just ordered pictureka. I'll also look for some giftcards for dinner out, a movie, an icecream treat. Candy is out since we still haven't finished our Halloween candy. Tickets to an even are tough since they don't all like the same kind of thing. Same goes for the waterpark- but that is a great idea. I did pick up the new Harry Potter dvd so that will work too. Last year I got the Mr Coffee Cocomotion maker and a variety of hot cocoa mixes. That gift was a huge hit. Another year's gift was an icecream maker with assorted toppings.

 

[KKB]

We almost always get a game or 2 for family gifts. (kids are 9-14 now)
Favs:
Apples to Apples (get Jr. edition)
Blokus
UNO attack
Payday
Gosh, I know there are others...just blank.

Movies: fav family or Xmas movie?

I like the ticket idea; last year the kids got 2 nts. at Great Wolf Lodge. This year they might get Globetrotters.

 

[CruiseBoundnKY]

This year since we just got back from Disney and LOVED Toy Story Mania we are getting the Wii version of the ride. I thought it'd bring back happy Disney memories.

My other idea, which will now wait because of time and money is (we have a goat farm and show goats) matching jackets with our farm logo on it.

Good Luck and Merry Christmas!

Karen

 

[An_Island_Girl]

We have the Margaritaville Ice drink machine... and I have to say every member of our family uses it regularly.
We use it to make snow cones, smoothies, virgin strawberry daquiris for the kids, and other wonderful tropical concoctions for the adults!

 

[left210]

Each Christmas Santa gives each of our children 2 gifts apiece and then one for the family. Past years Santa gifts have been things like a wii, computer, Flip video camera, a hot chocolate maker, etc. Ours 4 kids are ages 7, 11, 13, and 16. The 2 youngest believe and the 2 oldest don't- but they still look forward to the santa gift. I have absolutely no ideas this year. A trip won't work. They don't all like wii so there isn't 1 game I could get the family (was considering wii fit for awhile).

Does anyone else do a family santa gift? If so, what do you do?
Would Santa give gift cards to places like the movies, DQ, etc?

How do you like your hot chocolate maker? Which one do you have? Does it make it taste any better than just adding hot water? We were thinking about getting one this year.

 

[MomtoGKC]

We got the kids a basketball net for one of our family gifts this year. We're also doing a Disney trip in jan (I'm doing the marathon but they don't know they're coming with me) so that is the really big gift.

 

[njsweetP]

This year the family gifts are:

DJ Hero for Wii
Guitar Hero Smash Hits Wii
Extra controller/wii motion/nunchuck
Toy Story Mania for Wii
Harry Potter DVD/Blu Ray combo
Snow White DVD/Blu Ray combo - my DD watched this 2 times a day when she was like 2 (she'll be 17 in Feb) so
she's going to love this - Snow White is her fav. Disney princess!

We are a Wii family - my DH and 2 DD's are constantly playing Guitar Hero on the thing so the above additions are going to be used A LOT!

 

[Aryn]

The family gift this year is the Keurig machine with flavors for everyone!
This should have a flavor that we all like.

 

[Kay1]

Popcorn maker? Movies? Board games? We're getting a Carrabas gift card.

 

[mominwestlake]

How do you like your hot chocolate maker? Which one do you have? Does it make it taste any better than just adding hot water? We were thinking about getting one this year.

We LOVE our hot chocolate maker. I got it on walmart.com last year for around $22. It might be available in some of the stores now. We make it with milk and actually make our own hot chocolate mix from a cookbook called Hot Chocolate that I bought. It stirs it and heats it to the perfect temp without creating that film on the top. It does give directions for making it with water but we have never done that. I gave 3 as gifts also and all the people really liked it.

Ours is the Mr. Coffee Cocomotion.

We already have a waffle maker but that is another good family gift.
Maybe I'll look at sandwhich irons or whatever they are called.
Last year one of my DDs got a pizelle maker and that has been a hit too.

Our problem is the kids don't really like to do things together- I know that is sad. They just all have different interests.

 

[skip323]

We are doing Wii guitar hero world tour (or whatever it is called) which I found on sale and then a basket/ box with snuggies, a set of movies and maybe some comfy socks so we can be good and comfy watching movies this winter

 

[MrsPooh]

For years when the older two were little we got Sesame Street Live tickets as a family gift each year (it was always here in January).

If there was a big gift it usually was given as a family gift. Some years there was a family gift and other years there wasn't.

This year - no family gift

 

[megsters]

How do you like your hot chocolate maker? Which one do you have? Does it make it taste any better than just adding hot water? We were thinking about getting one this year.

i had to throw in my 2 cents, i got mr coffee cocomotion off of craigslist (still sealed in the box, 8 dollars )last year, and i love it!! i called my best friend, excitedly said, "i got a hot cocoa maker!" and she said, "i have one too, its called a microwave....... )

anyway, i think it makes hot chocolate taste better than just adding hot water. you can even use milk in it. and the water/milk doesnt have to be warm, it can come straight from the pitcher in the fridge (or the tap, etc ), and it always comes out frothylike, even the sugar free taste better this way. one of my girlfriends lives in the apartment building across the way from the boyfriends, i think everyday this week, i have trekked across the courtyard with my cocomotion for hot chocolate with her. tons of fun. super easy. and it doesnt get so hot that you can burn yourself.

the only downside is that the "pitcher part" of it is not detachable from the electric plug, so cleaning it was a pita. but, i soon figured out that when you're done with it, put some water in it, a drop or two of dawn, and run it, viola!! clean machine!

i give it 2 thumbs up, i've taken it to work a few times and to a couple of study sessions. big hit. you can use cider packets in it too. i dont think you can go wrong with this bad boy!

 

[starann]

I would suggest tickets to a movie?

Or BBB has funnel cake makers and root beer kits. The funnel cake maker was about $20 as was the root beer kit, and there are always coupons!

 

[mominwestlake]

i had to throw in my 2 cents, i got mr coffee cocomotion off of craigslist (still sealed in the box, 8 dollars )last year, and i love it!! i called my best friend, excitedly said, "i got a hot cocoa maker!" and she said, "i have one too, its called a microwave....... )

The cocomotion is much better than the microwave in our house.

I might get a couple of snuggies. How do the sizes work? I am definitely going to check into the rootbeer kit. I am glad to know that others do a family santa gift.