What gift are you excited to give this year

I am giving each of my sisters a mug that say "you are the luckiest girl in the world..to have a sister like me." IN YOUR FACE

We have been saving up for a European vacation. We finally booked airfare, but haven't told our sons. We will surprise them with a box filled with London guidbook, map, British candy and the printed itinerary will be at the bottom of the box. The extra surprise will be that we are going to Disneyland Paris for 3 days too.

An antique pocket watch for DH. I have spent I don't know how many hours learning about pocket watches in the past couple months. I ended up learning that one of our country's largest watch makers was once located less than 10 miles from my house. I drive by the former site of the factory on a very regular basis (it's long gone). The watch factory had a planetarium that it used to regulate time in the factory. That planetarium still exists and is used by our school district. I always wondered how a school district ended up with its own planetarium. Figured that out while learning about the watches. The watch I got DH was made right down the road in 1900, fully functional and meant to be carried.

Hoping this is the beginning of many wonderful Christmas traditions!

I am excited to give my dad a book: Stories from the Leopold Shack. Aldo Leopold was a conservationist and my dad, as a hunter, is big on conservation. A few years ago, he'd asked me to track down Aldo's book, A Sand County Almanac. This new book is by Aldo's youngest daughter (I think). I hope he'll like it-- it isn't often I have something I can actually surprise him with.

Some of you may have been in the thread where we talked about vintage sequin/bead ornaments. My mom had made some in the 70s. She wrapped them each year in Viva paper towels when they were put away. My sister and I loved unpacking them each year, and took turns picking one out and opening it to see which one it was, and calling dibs. One summer, my mother GOT RID OF THE ORNAMENTS (although to be fair, that was shortly before we learned she had brain cancer). We recovered a few she had given to relatives, but not all of them.

My sister said she wanted some "of those ornaments like we used to have that mom made." There are lots on the internet but most are not quite like the ones we had. And then... I found these on etsy and if the yellow one had come hanging from broken fishing wire, I'd have sworn that these were our exact ornaments. I think she'll be super pumped for these. (Cuz she can't have the ones on my tree. LOL.)

I'm excited yet also nervous about giving my mom the Instant Pot I got her. I love mine and think if she gives it a chance she'll love it too. It's perfect for taking in her RV too. But I'm worried she won't like it. But I took a chance and got it for her anyway 

Excited to give DS the clarinet lamp DH made. For DH, he lost his favorite golf pullover that he got as a gift at a golf tournament. I tracked down the organizer and he ordered a new one for me. DH is going to be thrilled. Although both of them are going to get other gifts, these are the two I am most excited about.

My mum is coming over today for Christmas dinner. I am giving her the Ancestry DNA kit. I'm excited about that, she won't be expecting it. I bought it thanks to the Peas (1) for making me aware of it in the first place, and (2) for posting about the discount price a couple of weeks ago. 

That is so cool.  I might be able to "draw" those.

I'm giving my parents an echo dot. They are in NC and I am in NY, mainly for the ask my buddy app. This way I can get a text and close friends who live near them can get a text as well should something happen. Plus I think they will get a kick out of it.

MadamG2U

My ds is finishing his first semester at Columbia so I am flying him home from NYC to Oregon for Christmas. He told me not to get him anything for Christmas because of the expense of the flight but I bought him a special camera lens and new filters that were on his Amazon wish list. He is going to be so excited! (He is in Columbia's Directing / Screenwriting Graduate Program.) I'm giddy with excitement for Christmas!