So, I put the presents under the tree....

[Skatermom23]

I assigned two colors per family member this year and put that on the tag. We are 4 people so there are 8 color coded names. I put the gifts out yesterday and my teens were quite shocked! This could work!

 

[Sgt Mickey]

How funny!! I use a a different colored wrapping paper for each of my 3 so I don't have to use gift tags. They don't know the "code" until I tell them on Christmas morning. I have heard them before arguing I'm the snowflakes and you're the Santas. No, I'm the Santas and you are the candy canes.

we do this too. BUT they know whos is who by the wrapping in the stocking. My kids would go nuts if I used animal names

 

[golfgal]

I'm just impressed that with the age of your kids, you can find gifts that are a surprise! Such a hard age to shop for. I miss toys!!

Well, when they never give me a list it is easy to "surprise" them. Some years are easier then others. A couple years ago DD was BEGGING for an IPod. I kept telling her to get a better list ready because there was no WAY I was spending that kind of money on a 6th grader-we don't usually go all out for gifts so it was believable. Well the look on her face was priceless but not as good as DS14's who got one the same year and hadn't asked for one. He opened it and yelled "I got an IPod TOOOOOOO". This from our quiet, shy child.

DS17 already got his "big" Christmas present because I goofed and activated his new Motorola Droid phone. He got it last week and still will just hug me out of the blue for his phone. He wanted an Itouch and we had talked about getting him a Blackberry or something for college so this worked out beautifully.

 

[golfgal]

So the twins spent an hour today trying to figure out the code--they THINK it is how the presents are wrapped--how the bow is on the box . I told them they have to separate the presents on Christmas morning into who they think they go to before they open them.

 

[daemom]

I do something similar. I have three kids and each one is given a number--all of the 2's belong to DS3, all of the 8's belong to DS2 or all of the 5's belong to DS1--the numbers change every year and have nothing to do with anything. They always try to figure out the rhyme and reason of how I numbered them--but I have none!! I have noticed that they leave the packages alone now!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I'm trying one of these ideas for the first time. DD18 is awfully confused as to who the gifts under the tree are meant for. I lined up all my recipients names alphabetically and using a holiday word I assigned each letter of the word to a name on my list. I might try the reindeer names next year.