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Post by khaleesi on Nov 4, 2014 15:01:47 GMT
Pooping reindeer was a huge hit last year as was the yellow snow cupcake kit I found for my FIL at World Market.
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,586
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Nov 4, 2014 15:05:38 GMT
After reading this entertaining thread, I can't help but feel that my Christmas approach is terribly haphazard. I buy specific requests from some people, and random "THIS LOOKS LIKE SO-AND-SO!" gifts for others. For some, I buy obligatory, meaningless but hopefully useful gifts, like fleece lounge pants or gift cards. Merge, have you mentioned to your sister your thoughts on stopping the cousin gift exchange? |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 15:52:21 GMT
After reading this entertaining thread, I can't help but feel that my Christmas approach is terribly haphazard. I buy specific requests from some people, and random "THIS LOOKS LIKE SO-AND-SO!" gifts for others. For some, I buy obligatory, meaningless but hopefully useful gifts, like fleece lounge pants or gift cards. Merge, have you mentioned to your sister your thoughts on stopping the cousin gift exchange? That's how I shop too. |
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,652 
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 4, 2014 16:16:37 GMT
Threads like this keep me coming back to this place.
And boy, do I appreciate my family and friends. No gift giving drama in anyway.
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Nov 4, 2014 16:41:25 GMT
After reading this entertaining thread, I can't help but feel that my Christmas approach is terribly haphazard. I buy specific requests from some people, and random "THIS LOOKS LIKE SO-AND-SO!" gifts for others. For some, I buy obligatory, meaningless but hopefully useful gifts, like fleece lounge pants or gift cards. Merge, have you mentioned to your sister your thoughts on stopping the cousin gift exchange? This sounds like what this year is going to be about. |
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Nov 4, 2014 17:53:18 GMT
Probably because they are picking up on the fact that to you surprise=crap and it's becoming their way of thinking too. They aren't going to go through life being with people who subscribe to the same gift giving philosophy as you, how are they going to hide their disappointment if a future girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife wants to deviate from the prescribed list and make each gift giving occasion a surprise? How as a family will you handle that?? Well as I said earlier gifting between adults means nothing to me. I'm only passionate about the list as it pertains to my kids. By the time my kids are old enough to have a husband or wife they'll be past the toy list stage. So I'm not really seeing the issue you're wondering about. Although I have to say of the people I know IRL about 90% are list and list only families, so it's definitely the prevalent school of thought in our circle. So maybe it'll never be an issue at all. What about when they are older and no longer play with toys? I'm sure they're are 'older kid' or adult toys (no, not that kind!) but there will be a time when they don't want to receive a toy from you or relatives or a girlfriend/boyfriend. What then? |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 4, 2014 18:17:47 GMT
What about when they are older and no longer play with toys? I'm sure they're are 'older kid' or adult toys (no, not that kind!) but there will be a time when they don't want to receive a toy from you or relatives or a girlfriend/boyfriend. What then? I can tell you what happened to me/DH. Years ago when he was about 19, the transom cracked on their ski boat at the family lake cabin. He was big into water skiing at the time and pressed his dad to replace it with a new (or used) high performance boat the would run about $35-$40K. After much shopping around his dad decided to buy a brand new but lower end ski boat for about $15K, and when he told him, DH CRIED. I kid you not! As someone who got to go on a family vacation ONCE and had to have a job from the time I was 16 to help pay for my own necessities, I was totally aghast and disgusted. I took him aside and gave him a serious reality check. "Dude, really? There are people in the world who have no FOOD, CLOTHES OR HOUSING and you are crying over a brand new boat? Get a grip!" Needless to say, it took a long, long time for him to adjust to living within our means once we were married, and that's a big reason why I'm kind of militant about how we do things with DD. I don't want history to repeat itself in our family. |
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Post by myshelly on Nov 4, 2014 18:44:36 GMT
Well as I said earlier gifting between adults means nothing to me. I'm only passionate about the list as it pertains to my kids. By the time my kids are old enough to have a husband or wife they'll be past the toy list stage. So I'm not really seeing the issue you're wondering about. Although I have to say of the people I know IRL about 90% are list and list only families, so it's definitely the prevalent school of thought in our circle. So maybe it'll never be an issue at all. What about when they are older and no longer play with toys? I'm sure they're are 'older kid' or adult toys (no, not that kind!) but there will be a time when they don't want to receive a toy from you or relatives or a girlfriend/boyfriend. What then? I don't understand what you're asking. I feel like what you said is exactly the same thing I said in my post. |
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Post by mollycoddle on Nov 4, 2014 18:59:51 GMT
I have to say that this is one of those pea threads that when/if I share it irl, people just can't believe it. Fascinating. Really. I know. I love everything about this thread. Cuz I'm evil like that. Bwahahaha! :-D |
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Nov 4, 2014 19:15:38 GMT
The gift rule I hated was being told to get one set of cousins the exact same thing, so the older daughter didn't have to share with her sister. They were 5 years apart and we tended to ignore the rule. Funny thing is the older daughter was always more interested in what her sister was given. OMG I hated that with my nieces. They are two years apart and COMPLETELY different kids! One year I gave them identical gifts the same but different cards, they had punch out finger puppets, one was a ballerina and one a princess. I did this intentionally so they could play TOGETHER! The minute I left my sister photo copied each of the paper cut outs on to card stock and cut them out so each girl had her own set! Fast forward... for older daughters 16th birthday she got a brand new car.. that she would have to share with younger Daughter when she turned 16... the younger is 16 next spring they are already fighting over the car.. with older Daughter trying to convince Mom and Dad that she should buy a new car for her and give the "old" car to the younger sister. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 19:53:27 GMT
What about when they are older and no longer play with toys? I'm sure they're are 'older kid' or adult toys (no, not that kind!) but there will be a time when they don't want to receive a toy from you or relatives or a girlfriend/boyfriend. What then? I don't understand what you're asking. I feel like what you said is exactly the same thing I said in my post. My point was more about when grand children come along. Surely you'll want to give them gifts? What if there is no list just a general 'surprise them' or 'buy whatever you think they'd like'? |
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Post by myshelly on Nov 4, 2014 20:13:40 GMT
I don't understand what you're asking. I feel like what you said is exactly the same thing I said in my post. My point was more about when grand children come along. Surely you'll want to give them gifts? What if there is no list just a general 'surprise them' or 'buy whatever you think they'd like'? That would suck but I don't think it will happen. |
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Nov 4, 2014 20:26:01 GMT
Thought of this thread when I came across Silly Putty last night at Target. I bought some for each person in the family for Christmas. The youngest person I shop for is 18, the oldest who will get some? 81  I'm pretty sure every gift I give this year will have Silly Putty or something along that line on it. I think my youngest will be 4 and my oldest will be 90. Teehee. Or whoopy cushions. Or pooping reindeer. Yup. I'm ornery today.  I'm putting pooping reindeer and reindeer poop sweets in my grown-up kids Christmas stockings, along with Silly Putty and other silly things!! |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Nov 4, 2014 20:48:50 GMT
I'm pretty sure every gift I give this year will have Silly Putty or something along that line on it. I think my youngest will be 4 and my oldest will be 90. Teehee. Or whoopy cushions. Or pooping reindeer. Yup. I'm ornery today. I'm putting pooping reindeer and reindeer poop sweets in my grown-up kids Christmas stockings, along with Silly Putty and other silly things!! Awesome. It's going to be an irreverent Christmas! |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 20:55:28 GMT
We've been getting Poopers in our stockings for years... had to stop because we finally had them all. Now we have a new round of little ones, the Poopers are back! So much fun.  |
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Post by scrapsotime on Nov 4, 2014 21:12:11 GMT
Thought of this thread when I came across Silly Putty last night at Target. I bought some for each person in the family for Christmas. The youngest person I shop for is 18, the oldest who will get some? 81 I'm pretty sure every gift I give this year will have Silly Putty or something along that line on it. I think my youngest will be 4 and my oldest will be 90. Teehee. Or whoopy cushions. Or pooping reindeer. Yup. I'm ornery today. I given things like this in my families stockings for years. I've done Silly Putty, Slinkys, marbles (the adults had a blast teaching the younger ones how to play). Year beforelast it was cap guns. That was a loud Christmas. lol I haven't figured out what this years gift will be yet, but my 29 year old daughter has asked for a Skip-it or Clackers. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 21:17:20 GMT
Of course it won't, how horribly ridiculous of me to think that it might.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 21:19:16 GMT
I'm pretty sure every gift I give this year will have Silly Putty or something along that line on it. I think my youngest will be 4 and my oldest will be 90. Teehee. Or whoopy cushions. Or pooping reindeer. Yup. I'm ornery today. I given things like this in my families stockings for years. I've done Silly Putty, Slinkys, marbles (the adults had a blast teaching the younger ones how to play). Year beforelast it was cap guns. That was a loud Christmas. lol I haven't figured out what this years gift will be yet, but my 29 year old daughter has asked for a Skip-it or Clackers. I loved Clackers, used to drive my Mum mad clacking all over the place! Weren't they banned for being too dangerous and replaced with really rubbishy plastic balls instead? Or am I totally making that up ? |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 21:24:20 GMT
My point was more about when grand children come along. Surely you'll want to give them gifts? What if there is no list just a general 'surprise them' or 'buy whatever you think they'd like'? That would suck but I don't think it will happen. I don't think it will happen either. You've conditioned your children to equate surprise with misery. |
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Post by gar on Nov 4, 2014 21:33:06 GMT
That would suck but I don't think it will happen. I don't think it will happen either. You've conditioned your children to equate surprise with misery. I'd pay to be a fly on the wall when girlfriends and wives come onto the scene, women who LOVE surprises, who take great pleasure in getting thoughtful gifts from their b/fs/husbands without having had to itemise everything, women who don't and won't do lists and who may not be willing to do things your way. |
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Nov 4, 2014 21:38:27 GMT
I given things like this in my families stockings for years. I've done Silly Putty, Slinkys, marbles (the adults had a blast teaching the younger ones how to play). Year beforelast it was cap guns. That was a loud Christmas. lol I haven't figured out what this years gift will be yet, but my 29 year old daughter has asked for a Skip-it or Clackers. I loved Clackers, used to drive my Mum mad clacking all over the place! Weren't they banned for being too dangerous and replaced with really rubbishy plastic balls instead? Or am I totally making that up ? Oh, I didn't know they were back in the shops......my adult daughter would love some of those! Not sure whether they were banned officially in 1985 in the UK for being too dangerous or whether it was just the adverts etc., for the toy that were banned from being shown, that seems to be disputed. However, they seem to have made a reappearance every few years in a slightly different form. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 21:40:59 GMT
I don't think it will happen either. You've conditioned your children to equate surprise with misery. I'd pay to be a fly on the wall when girlfriends and wives come onto the scene, women who LOVE surprises, who take great pleasure in getting thoughtful gifts from their b/fs/husbands without having had to itemise everything, women who don't and won't do lists and who may not be willing to do things your way. I'd pay too and why do I imagine the Omen music playing every time one of those people enter a room?? |
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Post by Merge on Nov 4, 2014 21:53:16 GMT
After reading this entertaining thread, I can't help but feel that my Christmas approach is terribly haphazard. I buy specific requests from some people, and random "THIS LOOKS LIKE SO-AND-SO!" gifts for others. For some, I buy obligatory, meaningless but hopefully useful gifts, like fleece lounge pants or gift cards. Merge, have you mentioned to your sister your thoughts on stopping the cousin gift exchange? I had been hesitating because I thought she'd be upset, but you spurred me to call her. She was totally fine with stopping the exchange. Woo hoo! FWIW, I shop like you. |
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Nov 4, 2014 22:29:49 GMT
What about when they are older and no longer play with toys? I'm sure they're are 'older kid' or adult toys (no, not that kind!) but there will be a time when they don't want to receive a toy from you or relatives or a girlfriend/boyfriend. What then? I don't understand what you're asking. I feel like what you said is exactly the same thing I said in my post. I'm wondering what you will do in the time between playing with toys and being a married adult (from 12ish to 20's +). That's a lot of years that they won't have a toy list for you. But I guess that your kids will be so used to the toy list that they will always create one for you with just more expensive toys for grown ups. |
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Post by myshelly on Nov 4, 2014 22:37:46 GMT
I don't understand what you're asking. I feel like what you said is exactly the same thing I said in my post. I'm wondering what you will do in the time between playing with toys and being a married adult (from 12ish to 20's +). That's a lot of years that they won't have a toy list for you. But I guess that your kids will be so used to the toy list that they will always create one for you with just more expensive toys for grown ups. They'll still make lists they just won't have toys on them. Why wouldn't they make a list? My DH and I still make extensive lists every year for his parents and my parents (bc they ask for them) and they buy what's on the list. |
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Post by dynalady on Nov 4, 2014 22:57:50 GMT
When our kids were little I gave our niece finger paints. SIL, the next Christmas, gave our son a fire engine that sprayed real water. When the kids got older and Christmas was getting a little dull with not little ones, the same SIL bought Nerf guns for everybody. We had a ball!
My DS and his friends spent hours and hours in our backyard digging their way down to China. With tablespoons. DD made mud pies and mud dinners and shared with all of us.
Some of the people on this thread are real fun suckers. Sad, and very too bad for their kids.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:07:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 23:11:12 GMT
This is a first for me and it really irritates me. I get parents saying "oh snowflake is in to (insert character here)" or "little precious has really found a love for (insert activity or toy here)" or even a "precious has too many (insert item here)". What I don't get is a parent dictating precisely what items people can buy for her child. I've bought enough gifts for almost four year olds and played with this particular four year old enough to know that certain things (like fresh craft supplies) would be a hit. Instead, we've been told to buy specific things (with pictures included) and nothing else. Seriously, way to suck the fun out of buying for a kid. I don't do that UNLESS people specifically want me to. I have many relatives who ask me to let them know what C wants or what he already has. When I respond, I always respond with the disclaimer that what I've written is just a suggestion, and if they see something else they'd rather get, by all means, get it! My sister has always been super controlling about everything concerning my nephew, and still is even though he's an adult. Believe me, I understand your frustration. |
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