NurseLissa

Dh's family is the same way. His dad and stepmom have 8 kids buying for them. Last year we all went in together and got them a one really big gift. This year we are getting digital picture frames that hold like 500 pictures and the picture changes every min or so. If we didnt think of the frames we were gonna go back to gift cards. Melissa

Check out the Things Remembered store and get something engraved, maybe a silver baby brush and mirror. Also Red Envelope has beautiful baby bracelets that you can get engraved.

Im a tad south of Orlando which I think is about 40min south of Ocala. I do all the BF shopping in Orlando. I've been told by others though that if you want something really bad then go to Ocala or an area called "the Villages" I think the median age there is like 50! Just watch out for the old folk in those electric wheel chairs! As far as weather goes I can't really remember what it was like EARLY last year, I just remeber that in the afternoon most people where wearing either sleeveless shirts, t-shirts or shorts. Year before that though was FREEZING!! I was about 37 weeks preggo standing outside of Target at 2am in flip flops because my feet had swelled so much that was all that fit and the cold spell happened so quick I didnt have time to get new sneakers yet. Year before that it was HOT HOT HOT!! and humid, I started out in a tank top, never needed a sweater that year. I normally wear comfy pants, tank top with zip up sweater that I can strip off when the sun comes up, I also start in sneakers to keep my feet from getting trampled then switch to comfy flip flops when the excitment dies down latter in the day.

Since they are such close family members this probably won't help you much but my BIL who was deployed in October told everyone not to send him gifts for Christmas or if we do send stuff he can share. He said when he was over there at Christmas 2 years ago that he felt bad for the people who didnt get anything for Christmas so he gave most of his away. I don't know what we'll end up sending that he can share but we are donating money to a charity he does work with in his name or maybe one of the programs that they do here for the kids who's parents are deployed (BIL and SIL don't have kids yet but he loves kids and does a lot of stuff with underprivlidged kids) Sorry not much help Melissa

This is what Im working on for my grandmother who is 87 and in excellant health ( I swear she will never die and I will never get my inheritance! J/K I love her so much and am so proud of how healthy she is) Anyway: Im getting her one of those newspapers from the day she was born and some other old school "item" I think she might enjoy. She has one of the old record players, I mean REALLY old, I dont think its even called a record player, anyway Im getting her a "record" to play on it. Im also getting her Rosebud salve and Im gonna do some research to see what else was popular back in the day. Some thoughts: My grandma once told me that the reason why its so hard to buy for her generation is that they lived through the depression so they see some things as frivorlous Also I heard a story once from a coworker about a lady who lived in a nursing home who told her family not to buy her anything for Christmas but to get something for the other people who didnt have family. Maybe your realitive feels the same way. Maybe there is a special staff member there that she would like for you to get something for or maybe give to a charity in her name. I would ask her. At this stage in her life she may be thinking "why more possesions? Im not taking them with me" just a thought Melissa

Just saw in our WM ad they have them on sale this week. The brand is Coty and they are $4.19 (or something like that). They are so pretty that Im gonna pick me one up. The one in the add was in an antique print. Melissa

And how can I get them into a stocking? Im doing family stockings for dh's brothers and sisters. Right now I've got treats from World Market but I want to do things that are not just food. I want it to pertain to Christmas around the world, thats the theme. Do other countries use "stockings"? Melissa

Do you mean the old fancy ones? I think they are so neat. Right now Im loving fancy compacts. Try Sephoria or maybe Ebay for an old one. Melissa

Last year at TRU we were about 5th in line. Close to time of opening the manager and other employees were out talking about no line cutting. Well dh knew the manager and since he had NO interest of going in the store (he's just the driver) the manager had him take pictures (hes a wanna be professional photographer) of all the line cutters. He has a real fancy camera that takes like 20pics a second or something. Anyway the manager gave the photos of the line cutters to one of the local news stations. This year the manager says that he's gonna take dh's photos and not let those people buy anything. He a a digital camera so you can clearly tell whos cutting.I dont think we're gonna be at TRU this year though so he'll have to get someone else to do it. Maybe contact a local news crew (FOX allways likes these kind of stories) and have them come and catch all the line cutters. I live in central fl and its ALLWAYS the same type of people who cut everyyear. I can't stand people like that! Melissa

My ds will be 2 on !2/20. Last sping we found a bunch of Geotrax on clearance at Target and a train table on clearance so we got that but I think my dh got it more for him self. Anyway, we are also getting/got : some wooden puzzles, Home Depot toys (he saw the chain saw at TRU and went crazy, Elmo TMX (allready got), a Powe Wheel (dh wanted to get him that big Fisher Price Jeep but it's $400 and he said for just a few 100 more he could get him a real 4 wheeler next year....of course that will be over my dead body...but I wont have to fight that until next year), someone is getting him the Elmo toolbench for his bday, I got him a spider man shaving set, it has a plastic razor, soap and other stuff, and some beach toys (got for 75% off at CVS). Thats all so far. What are you doing for stocking stuffers? So far I've come up with: *JJ jet plane movie (these are hard to find), if hes way into something else by then I'll switch movies * Hot Wheels chap stick (his big sister has chap stick and he allways wants her "lips" *new tooth brush and tooth paste Melissa

dd is getting a watch, bubble bath, chap stick, stickers, lotion, and a cd so far ds will be 1 year on the 20th and he is getting some cars, a DVD and a small football so far dh is getting a small bottle of bubble bath, some lottery scratch tickets, a gift card to a restruant, gum, a football card he has been looking for and thats all I can think of so far Melissa

From the time I was 12 until 19 I keep a photo journel of Christmas sort of. On Christmas morning I would take a picture of all my gifts wrapped then on Christmas night I would put them all together again and take a picture of them. I was an only child and supper spoiled. My parents got me gifts to open on Christmas Eve then on Christmas morning I would get up and open all the gifts from Santa. Santa came every year until I moved out at 20 Now with the kids we just take pictures on Christmas morning. I try to remember they got. All I remember from last year is that dd was 2.5 and ds was born on Dec 20 so we wanted to make Christmas extra special for dd so we got her lots of nice stuff but her most favorite thing was Play Dough from the Dollar Tree. I've learned my lesson so this year she says she only wants Santa to bring her a dog and a Barbie so that is what Santa is bringing. Sorry to ramble Melissa

I put in my request for black friday on Jan 1. 2 years ago I had to work the night before but someone came in early for me so I got off at 5am and shopped all day. Melissa

Last year I was 35 weeks preggo and wore a tshirt, jeans and flip flops but it was way cold in the morning. Year before that it was very warm and I wore jeans, tank and flip flops. Im hopeing it will be very warm again this year. If so Im wearing jeans, tank or shor sleeve shirt and my most comfy flip flops. Melissa

Mine says 73 which is I think the coldest its been here all year. Melissa