geomacey

Both of my kids had "Santa's Workshop" at school where they would shop for family members. If they couldn't find anything they liked there, my parents would take them to the Dollar Store. Some of the most memorable gifts we ever unwrapped were: 1. the headless angel statue (actually an angel robe with wings and a hanger where you would think the angel's head should be) that I got because DD said I would think it was beautiful... 2. the elf hat that DS got my brother because his hair was thinning and DS didn't want his head to get cold. 3. scotch tape that DD bought DH so he wouldn't have to borrow mommy's anymore! 4. the crocheted tie that DS also gave my brother because he was going on job interviews and needed a tie! DS is now way too old to do this, but DD is still carrying on the tradition. She wraps her own gifts and we all open them at the same time and then she tells us WHY we got what we got. I never want her to grow up!! Any other memorable gifts out there????

I did, but not because I bought too much...because I bought too BIG! Last year I bought a huge massaging office chair and it took up the whole back of my van. I stuffed some things around it, but still had to go home, stash the chair and then go back out!

We always go Christmas Eve for candlelight service. Before DH and I got married, DS and I would go to Christmas Eve service and then get up Christmas Day, open his stocking and go to 9AM Christmas Service (very abbreviated Communion service, usually < 1 hour) then come home and open the gifts. My parents always came to share the day with us. After DH and I got married, we switched churches and the new one didn't offer a Christmas Day service, so DD never had this tradition. We are probably only going Christmas Eve this year. Of course then there's the story of my sister..... She was about 3 and my parents dressed her upstairs, put her coat on her and threw a blanket over her head and took her out the door to church. They just got to church and there were all these kids with their new toys, gifts, etc and my sister started wailing that Santa had forgotten her and she HAD been GOOD!!!! There was no way to console her so they actually had to LEAVE church and take her home to show her he hadn't forgotten! My parents still talk about that to this day.... and she's 49 now!!!

Thanks Marcster! I downloaded the Hippo song and now my DD keeps playing and playing..... Guess now I need to go find her a little one and put it in her stocking!!! Oh.... and I forgot another fav -- Celebrate Me Home (Kenny Loggins).

Our Sam's is opening at 5AM on Black Friday and is advertising that they will have some major surprises in store. This is the first time our Sam's has ever opened early on Black Friday.... so we'll seeeee -------------

My kids have always asked Santa for three things and then made a list of other things they like to have too. Three years ago DD (then 4.5) made her list but she kept asking for an Easy Bake Oven. I said I didn't think so, but we would see. (Ask DS... that's momspeak for "Forget It" ) We went to see Santa and as she's sitting there and says, "You know Santa, I REAAAAALY made a mistake in my letter. I told you XXX but what I MEANT to say was an EASY BAKE OVEN!" Santa looked over at me and TRIED very hard to keep a straight face and said "HMMMMMMMMM" ..... Guess what was under the tree that year?!?!?! We try to do as many on the list as the budget for the year allows, but they ALWAYS get their Santa gifts (wrapped in different paper of course).

Ours in Altoona is opening at 5AM also. One of the workers told me that there WILL be some exceptional deals ... but unfortunately I couldn't get any more out of him.

gift certificates are always good. I've worked for a few attorneys... one year we got them something from Omaha Steaks, one year mall gift certificates, one year restaurant certificates ... nothing elaborate, but thoughtful....

It's a lot easier to tell you which ones I DON'T like .... White Christmas and Chestnuts Roasting .... to name a very few. My favorites in no particular order would be O Holy Night, Angels We Have Heard on High, Merry Christmas Darling, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Christmas Don't Be Late (Alvin & the Chipmunks ROCK! ) Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Must Be Santa (Mitch Miller) ..... I could go on and on and on.......

I start a new job on Monday ... just assumed they would be closed the day after Thanksgiving. JUST found out that may not be the case this year. OHOH... I didn't negotiate for that day off! Hopefully between the office manager and me, we can convince them to stay closed!!!!

At one place I worked, I got 1/2 my paycheck as a bonus and the attorney would give it the day before Thanksgiving. At the next place they didn't even acknowledge Christmas because the partners CLAIMED they were Jewish and Jewish people don't believe in Christmas (OH BROOOOTHER, what an excuse... They were only Jewish when it was convenient!). I don't know what my new place will do.... I don't start until next week!

Oh MIL.... hands down! Let's see, some of the prizes over the years... 1. matching beatnik pullovers for dh and I 2. spa wrap (one year) and pajamas (another year) that would have fit 4 of me 3. sleeveless Winnie the Pooh teeshirt for me/sock monkey ornament for dh 4. size 10 turtleneck for dd who was TWO at the time 5. desktop golf for dh ... when he didn't work at a desk! 6. a bathroom sink and wingback chair for a doll house for dd (problem was... she didn't have a doll house ) Oh the list could go on and on.....

but of course! Here Santa leaves 3-4 gifts and stocking stuffers all wrapped in his own special paper. Then mommy/daddy, grandparents, aunts & uncles fill in the rest.... all wrapped in different paper.

Last year our Sears advertised that it opened at 6:00am, but there were signs on the door on Thanksgiving morning saying that the store would be opening at 4AM on Black Friday. I would check with your individual store... if I hadn't gone to K-mart (next door to the mall) on Thanksgiving, I would have missed the $10 gift card!

Our Circuit City did Hot chocolate and Dunkin' Donuts two and three years ago. Don't know if they did it last year, I was in line at Sears for the $10 gift card. :2dollar: THEY didn't do anything.

December 25. I'll get online and check out any deals/discounts/etc. Last year I went to Kauffman's on December 26 with their $10 off $10 coupons and had 4 gifts done by 9:30am. I buy all year long.... makes it more interesting.

I make lists for my "absolutes" and take my ads but I still end up walking around the store at least 18-20 times as I think of extras or comparison shop or hunt for the shortest checkout .

Both. Gift in box and wrapped in paper for the family (everyone has their own and Santa's gifts in something different that mommy would NEVER buy ) I get a couple big bike bags for anything really big or bulky (like a massaging leather desk chair or a wet-dry vac). Use gift bags and Christmas boxes (decorated hat type boxes) for friends depending on nature of the gift. Basically it's whatever works best!

I LOVE to get them (especially the mall ones) but I HATE to give them. Can't ever get a deal on them (LOL)! I do give Sheetz certificates to bil and DH as stocking stuffers tho.... certainly get used!

welll, I think I've only missed one in MANY years .... and that one was because DS showed up at 6:13AM and after 29.5 hours of labor, I just wasn't up to shopping! I think now probably only a deathbed illness or a state of emergency would stop me!

Well, not sure how this is classified.... I don't THINK I cut in line ... For the last few years, I've gone with my bil (who is oblivious to the cold). I, on the other hand, don't handle it well. He will stand in line and let everyone around him know that I am with him. About a half hour before the store opens, I get out of the car and stay in line. We've never had a problem. In fact two years ago, he was third in line at Circuit City (my bf wanted one of the 32" tvs for $199), I showed up and he left (said there wasn't anything he wanted at that store!) then bf shows up and I left (needed to get to Value City for the Explorer Globes)! The two people in front of us just laughed and the ones behind us didn't seem to mind because the number never changed. Don't know what I'm doing this year since bil isn't going to be here....

I am very active in the Brian Morden Foundation. Brian was DS's best friend who died 2 years ago after a 2 year battle with Ewing's Sarcoma. His family began the foundation to help raise awareness/find a cure/make a difference in the lives of those touched by childhood cancers.(www.brianmordenfoundation.org if you want to learn more) Every major holiday (and some minor ones now), one of the things we do is make "Brian Baskets" to send to children who are inpatients. Christmas is our biggest one, naturally. Each child gets a REAL present, plus the basket which is filled with crafts, books, jewelry, stuffed animals, etc... things to make it a little less painful to be in the hospital. Last year, thanks to this forum and a precise gameplan, I was able to donate things like electronic organizers, hot wheels cars, lots of games, and stuff I would have never considered possible. We also do Santa's Elf through DD's elementary school (make a stocking worth $10-$20 for a child in the Children & Youth Services). No, we aren't wealthy.... far from it (especially since I lost my job and have had trouble finding a replacement) but we are thankful for what we have and that there will always be something to share. I'll shut up now.

I wrap usually in mid-December, when most of my buying is done and I know I won't be returning anything because I found one bigger/cheaper/better. I also wrap in code... everyone gets their own wrapping paper and the Santa gifts get special paper. The only tags I use are for friends/extended family who don't have their own paper. I was just upstairs in the gift closet today reorganizing and putting things in boxes to get ready for wrapping.

I leave around 4AM depending on where I want to go first. Last year I was out the door before 3 because Sears opened earlier than announced, but I had shopped online before I left (does that count??) . I'm usually out until about 12 or 1, then I come home, review <and hide> my purchases, decide if I need to go BACK to anyplace and head out again. I'm home for good <and exhausted > generally by 3:30 or so. god I love this day!!!!

We HAVE to have a real tree... I insist on it! Soooo decorating around our house usually takes place a week or two <at most> before Christmas. It's tradition now.... DH and I go to the tree farm, see a tree, walk all over god's green acres and go back and cut down the tree we originally saw! Happens every year! So why don't we just cut it when we see it? Heck and miss slipping and sliding in mud, muck and ice?? NO WAY! After the tree is put up and DH puts the lights on (for me to rearrange), then the rest of the house gets transformed, including the Disney Princess tree for DD's room, Outside is done as the weather permits. Last year our poor airblown snowman spent more time down than up because of the winds...not sure if we'll even attempt him this year.