JollyGG

Yea, I send something to BIL (DH's brother). We make it small and about half the cost of everyone elses. We send them an ornament every year. That way it is in and out of halmark in 5 minutes and done. I refuse to put any more thought than that into the jerks present. If DH had his way we wouldn't send anything. But for some reason I feel we should since we buy for my two bothers, two SIL, two nephews, my parents, his parents and his sister.

I do the same thing. I have the dough for my chocolate chip cookies and my spiced oatmeal rasin in the freezer. I'm working on the dough for the peanut butter and surgar cookies today.

We always got an orange from Santa as well and my kids get an orange as well. The tradition dates back to basically "little house on the prairie" times. Fresh fruit was just not available most places during the winter due to the difficulties and cost of shipping things like oranges from places like Florida to more northern states. Therefore to get an orange in the middle of winter was a huge luxary. It was a treat that was reserved for something special like a gift from Santa. Our stockings will have oranges, peanuts, candy, toothbrushes, small stuffed animals, candy canes, and whatever else suits my fancy at the dollar store. We do fill the stocking as adults with kids. But growing up Santa never put anything in our stockings. They were just decorations. Our gifts were on the kitchen table after mass along with our orange and a big bowl of nuts.

We do the day after thanksgiving until Epiphany 1/6 as well. I figure part of the reason we give gifts on christmas has to do with the gifts the kings brought to the baby Jesus, so it is appropriate to celebrate christmas through epiphany. Some religions don't open presents at all on christmas but instead wait for epiphany. The twelve days of christmas refers to the twelved days between christmas day and epiphany.

LOL My four year old has been asking for another baby brother or sister since his little sister was born 1 1/2 years ago. He's not getting one. He's been told it's not happening. But he keeps asking. Lucky me - at least he doesn't do it in front of a store full of people.

I just had one emailed to my boss. I was amused, I'm guessing he will be as well. I plan to let him try and puzzle out who sent it until our christmas party on the 21st.

I was really bummed when I saw this because I got it a week and a 1/2 ago at TRU for $25. I knew I should have waited.

I love board games for family gifts. My favorite is a floor checkers set. Another one I know was a hit was a chocolate fountain one year.

My parents buy each couple a large family gift, then each person gets a smaller gift, really just to have something to open (our family gift is a full freezer). My mom does go overboard on the grandkids. What's strange is I think my mom likes her In-law kids better than her real ones and throughout the year she spends more on them than she does on us. I don't know if she is hoping they will like her more if she spends more money on them or if she sympathyses with them for having to put up with her kids.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh. I love this idea. I may have to steal your tradition and make it my own. I think I'll go call and make my appointment right now. Usually, I go home, eat, hide the presents, then start pulling out the christmas decoration. Complain to my husband that I don't know why he is so tired I was the one who had been up since 3am (never mind that I called him about 50 times between 3am and when I got home) . I nap with the kids after lunch while I send hubby off for anything I forgot on my list.