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Chari
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Location: California
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| Posted: Nov 27 2009 at 1:33pm | IP Logged
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I thought, over our cups of tea, we could share what we are purchasing for our families and friends this year.
This would be an ongoing thread.......you write as you collect gifts.
We can inspire each other.....please play with me? 
Write the item and for whom the gift is intended.....and where to purchase if doable.
I'll start:
Saint Nicholas is bringing a nice kite to my 8 year old....he loves kites. Found at a mall toystore for $8.
He is bringing a Salsa workout video for my girls...they love Salsa and all ballroom dance......and a hair bun thingy.....both got a Ross for $4 each...you have to dig around for these kind of things 
The Christ Child is bringing a pair of slippers to my two girls still at home, 14 & 16 yrs.....I found at Sears, on sale for $12.99.......nice ones! This is their usual ongoing sale price for these slippers every year.
I found a bag of used paperbacks for free at my library sale for my mom, a voracious reader.
My grandma gets a yearly vinyl tablecloth from me. I found at Walmart this year for five bucks. Ross often has good ones, too........and GREAT aprons there every year, also!
Got the kids some new Mad Libs at the toy store for $4.....I do not let them write in them so we can keep on using them forever ......they just write on a piece of scrap paper.
I am always on the look-out at thift stores for gifts, year round.
Last week I found an Eyewitness-like book on basketball for my 12 year old who will play his second year on a team (if I can get over my sick stomach fear of a concussion  )
I also found a Lyric Language cassette, never opened, in German.
"What have you collected so far?," I ask, as I sip my Stash's Pumpkin Spice Tea with whipping cream.....
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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Kristie 4
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Joined: June 20 2006
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| Posted: Nov 27 2009 at 5:05pm | IP Logged
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For St. Nicolas Day
-these neat Spirograph type kits from Lee Valley for my two middle children
-i tunes card for my eldest son
-new yo-yo for the youngest I think
- a family game (any favorites out there? Ticket to Ride was last years game and it is a HUGE hit!)
For Christmas I am making (hopefully) something for each child and hope to find a book at the thrift shop to tuck in with it.....Simple is the theme again this year...
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Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!
A Walk in the Woods
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ekbell
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| Posted: Nov 27 2009 at 5:15pm | IP Logged
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St. Nick will be giving holy cards, buttons and scrap paper from St. Nicholas Center as well as paint your own Nativities to the three oldest, a finger puppet Nativity to the three year old and a stuffed Veggie tales character to the youngest (all from Christianbook.
For Christmas proper every child will receive a storybook.
The family will receive a collection of Veggietales DVD's (from Christianbook) and some CatChat cds (they are selling their CD's for 7$ a pop or 45$ for all six until Dec. 7!)
The children three and over will also be each receiving a watercolor kit with water-brushes and the youngest will be getting a nice stuffed nativity set from Christianbook.
That's about all for the children from us other then some craft materials.
The rest of the family knows my user name and most of them spend time online so....
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Nov 27 2009 at 5:22pm | IP Logged
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For St. Nicholas Day....
for ds (7) a set of pjs (from Lands End Overstocks this summer) and a Klutz book that has cards in it to build a castle (Amazon bargain books)
for dd (5) a set of pjs (Target clearance last Jan) and a Victorian Dollhouse fold out book (also from Amazon bargain books).
We can't do candy/food in the shoes, so this is what we do. Dd was astonished a couple of nights ago when she realized that St. Nicholas and Santa Claus are really one and the same. I don't know what made her ponder this before Thanksgiving, but she is asking everyone she sees if they already know this.
I also shop year round and stash things away. I would say I am cheap, but I prefer the term "bargain hunter", which sounds kind of cool, right? I mean, not cool like Crocodile Hunter... but better than cheapskate 
Bath time... will have to come back later for Christmas gifts
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Nov 28 2009 at 12:17pm | IP Logged
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Right now BookCloseouts
Has a free shipping deal and a lot of nice box calendars for $5 and under, including "Never Not Knitting", a fun page a day calendar.
I got my ds the audobon songbird page a day calendar, plus one for my MIL and a best fishing tales page a day for my FIL.
I also bought myself a nice hardback book called "Saintly Support" for $3. The Amazon reviews were good for it, and dh was just asking me what I might like... 
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Willa
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 10:53am | IP Logged
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I don't really have much to contribute -- Christmas is the one time of the year when my boys get their Bionicles and video games, so my list breaks down basically to a Bionicle and/or a modestly-priced VG for each one. Not very interesting probably unless you are a young boy ;-).
They will get some item of clothing each -- socks for the young teenager that runs through them like lightning, workout shorts for the older teenager.
The younger set will get a toy each and then a couple of littler dollar store type things like swords or tops or action figures.
I am not much of a gift-type person and get so overwhelmed with clutter, pieces of toys everywhere, that I just go for simplicity. I do as much shopping as possible on Amazon so I don't have to spend time figuring out shipping costs.
Oh, but that reminds me -- I did find this Elizabeth Gaskell DVD collection at Amazon for a good price. We've watched two of the three and like them very much, so I think it's a pretty good deal.
I have some links to past threads -- the "what was your best Christmas gift threads" are quite nice.
What Were the Great Gifts this Christmas? (2006)
Biggest Hit Christmas 2007
Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas
Gifts for Under $20 (2006)
Christmas on a Budget (2006)
Scaling Back Christmas (2009)
A Peek Into Your Christmas Stockings
What To Buy for Christmas
Christmas Gift Catalog suggestions
Whew!! Hope that isn't overwhelming. I'm planning to browse through to get some inspiration for little stocking stuffer and useful gift type things. We live so far out of town that we hardly ever shop beyond grocery shopping, so usually I have no clue what's out there.
My husband and I usually choose a gift together -- something that we could both use around the house but wouldn't necessarily spring for ordinarily. Like this year, we are talking about getting a blender.
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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stacykay
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 11:45am | IP Logged
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I just began my shopping last night. A mom in our local hs group owns a baby/game store and had a discount night for our group. We have been running into a game rut here, so I picked up some new ones. Here is what I got:
Ticket to Ride
Treasure, Ready, Go
and
Bananagrams
There will also be some legos, books (now those I could use some suggestions on!,) clothes (ds 21 requested a Detroit Lion sweatshirt-please don't snicker!  ,) and a crockpot (for the 21 ds!)
I also give each boy a Christmas ornament every year. I know that someday those ornaments will disappear from our tree to go to theirs', but I'm hoping they will hold happy memories for them, too.
A couple of other gifts for the boys:
-a coupon for a trip to the local pottery store, where they get to choose an item to paint and have fired.
-a family membership to Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village
-and I always give something that has our faith involved. This will take a trip to my favorite local Catholic bookstore for some inspiration. Also considering some Catholic crafts, like the grottos from Illuminated Ink. My younger three love crafts!
For Saint Nicholas' Day, I have gold-wrapped chocolate coins and am going to the bank to pick up the latest President dollar that is gold-colored, for their shoes. There will also be a coupon in there for a movie out (we are very blessed to have two local theaters that not only are inexpensive (read- CHEAP! ) but also show OLD movies!
I am brain-storming still for 19 yo ds, just for one little special gift.
Overall, though, I am not spending much. The last three years, I kept it between $30 and $75 for each boy. This year seems to be creeping more towards the $75 mark for each. Bleh.
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: What gifts are you buying for Christmas?
