hopeky94

If your kids are small enough, why not go ahead and write up and mail your own "letter from Santa"? I found online sites last year that let you "preview" the letters you could order from them, so I would just use the same or similar wording that they did, print it in one of those fonts that looks like handwriting, and mail it to your address from your local post office (with a picture of Santa or the "North Pole" as the return address)! If your kids are old enough to read/recognize postmarks, there are a couple other options I would try: 1) Email your typed letter to an out of state friend and ask them to mail it for you. You could even make a note in the letter that you (Santa) were visiting the other state and decided to answer the child's letter while you were there! :) 2) I haven't looked this up lately to know all the details of how to do this, but... there are different towns across the country with "Christmasy" names to them. You can mail your stamped, addressed letter to them (inside another envelope, of course), with a note of some kind asking them to postmark and mail the letter for you. HTH... My great-neices are the perfect ages to enjoy these now (5 1/2 and 2 1/2), so I think I'll try it this year too! Have fun!!

Keep an eye out at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Dollar General stores, for an assortment of little things! I'm a Dale Jr. fan and my friend is a Dale Sr. fan. In recent years, I found a nice plastic tumbler with a picture of Dale Sr. printed onto it (may have been a Dale Jr. one too, don't remember) at K-Mart, as well as a soft-sided cooler and a notepad and pen set in various NASCAR drivers' colors/numbers at Dollar General! I've also seen NASCAR clothing at Wal-Mart and K-Mart in the men's clothing section (not sure about kids' sizes). The clothes aren't hard to find when they have them, but the other stuff you just have to hunt around some, usually near similar non-NASCAR items, and occasionally in the toy department. Also, check out the yellow pages for any NASCAR or racing specialty stores in your area-- while the new, bigger stuff there is expensive (like jackets and model cars), if they have any prior seasons' merchandise and/or smaller items (keychains, stickers, etc.), you should be able to get them for very reasonable prices! :) Last, NASCAR.com sells merchandise also, but you'd probably need to check out the smaller items and/or clearance there too. Hope this helps!! Good luck, and let us know if you find a really good deal (that's the only way I buy Dale Jr. stuff for myself- LOL)!

For the past 15+ years, I've been a regular part of my church's Christmas musical/play/program. Since God and music are 2 very important things in my life, celebrating both of them at such a festive time is almost heaven on earth for me! I also have a nice Nativity set that I put out each year, a piece at a time. I start with the stable around the beginning of December, then every few days I add another piece... until finally, on Christmas Eve, I set out the manger and baby Jesus. It always makes me smile to look at the whole scene put together and reminds me of how fortunate we are to have this Reason to celebrate!!

The Sears F & F is supposed to be from 6pm to 9pm, so maybe that applies to the Kmart one as well? You could try searching the BF Archives from last year to see if you can find it...

Last year, our little Wal-Mart was out of carts when I got thru the door (I was probably 20-25th in line). So I rushed back to get the main doorbusters I wanted (all of them toys) then started wandering back up the main aisle. Tons of people were crowded inside and around electronics, and there was an empty cart abandoned outside of it, so-- it became mine! I felt sort of bad about taking the cart... but as chaotic as electronics was, I doubt ANYONE got out of there in under 30 minutes! And if they'd wanted the cart that bad, they would have taken it with them or left someone with it!

A couple years ago, my coworkers decided instead of exchanging gifts, they wanted to buy for needy kids/families. We were going to get names off an angel tree, but I mentioned that my church does food baskets for local families (I live and go to church about 30 miles from work). So I checked with the coordinator of the baskets, and he was thrilled with the idea of my office buying gifts for these children!:) He contacted the parents and got some more info for us (i.e. first names, sizes, etc.), including a 2-3 item wish list-- which was perfect because the parents knew what the children wanted and needed that would not clean out our bank accounts! Then I printed little "stockings" with each child's info on it and propped them up on limbs of our office tree. I kept an eye on the tree to make sure all names were taken (if they weren't I either asked around and found someone to take them and/or took an extra one myself), and I also set a deadline to bring the gifts in (wrapped and tagged), so I could get them to the church to be delivered with the baskets. FYI-- the names of these needy families came from the family resource center at a local elementary school. So an idea for individuals and other groups is to check with a nearby school, and see if they'll allow you to sponsor a family with only as many kids as you can afford to buy for. They may be able to get the sizes and stuff for you as well... We soo enjoy buying anonymously for these kids-- and I get the added joy of helping deliver some of them!

Check out some of the suggestions on this thread-- http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?t=50859 . There are a lot of suggestions on there that would also work good for coworkers' gifts and are pretty affordable! And if all else fails, how about a large, pretty ornament or holiday door hanger for each of them? Big Lots is a good place to look for inspiration for this type thing... :)

Is there room in the case to fit the cars still in their original packages? If so, how about wrapping a few of them and put them inside the case, then wrap the case? (Sorry, never dealt with this before-- youngest nephew is a train fanatic!) OT, but... this reminds me of the Christmas I got my first CD player (remember the $99 ones, made like a Discman except had to be plugged in and kept level? LOL). We traditionally open one small gift each on Christmas Eve, and I could NOT figure out why I wasn't allowed to open one of those thin, square presents (the CDs) until after everything else on Christmas morning!

(Didn't know where to post this, so please move to correct forum if this is the wrong place!) Has anyone heard anything about the new online service/website that K-Mart, Sears, and Lands End are getting ready to do, called readysetholiday.com ? I saw an advertisement for this at the bottom of the K-Mart email I got today, and the link to "learn more" takes you to http://f.e.sears.com/s/27/217789800/rsh_registration.html , where you can sign up to be notified when this site is up and going. It advertised there as: "A website that makes holiday shopping and planning easier than ever! - Great prices on the season's hottest gifts - Clever ideas for your holiday home - Personalized wishlists and ecards to share - A custom planner to track your holiday" There's also a holiday planner to download (I haven't yet, but it looks interesting)... Anyone heard about this new site before now? Do you think it will be helpful, or just another gimmick??

My uncle and his mil in Florida do these every year and take pics! But the only ones I can remember right now are... One year he got her a "gold chain"-- a piece of chain from the hardware store, spraypainted gold, with either 14 or 24 carrots ("carats" lol) hanging from it, ends of the chain connected to make a necklace of course! Well, since my uncle is from Kentucky, his mil has always teased that he's a hillbilly (trust me-- he's the farthest thing from one! lol), so... she got him some ratty-looking bib overalls, a flannel shirt, big rubber boots, a straw hat, and a corncob pipe! And of course, he had to put them all on for the picture! If you have any little country festivals and/or gift shops nearby, they usually have some cute stuff for sale that's pretty easy to make yourself... like the hillbilly weather forcaster (a rock hanging on a string, with a little saying along the lines of "If the rock is white, it's snowing. If the rock is hot, it's sunny..." and so on). I'm drawing a blank on other ones like it, but if you don't have any place like this to browse, you could do an online search and probably find pictures and/or instructions for simple little things like that! HTH!!

Woohoo!! I didn't even know K-Mart had a F&F sale-- is it the same as the Sears F&F (BF sales, in the evening)? Thank you sooooo much for the info-- now, come oooon, Sears BF ad!!

I agree with this 200%! My b-day is in December, and I was thrilled last year with a pair of pants my mom gave me. I noticed the brand was Fashion Bug, so later when no one else was around, I asked where she got them. I didn't want to complain because I knew they were used-- I was so touched that she bought them knowing how much I'd love them, instead of spending the same amount on cheaper-made stuff I wouldn't like as well!:) But oddly enough, my mom and I are the only ones in our family that feel this way... Dad, brother, sister, bil, sil, and nieces still turn up their noses at the idea of anything without original store tags on it! But usually I can get away with some little things if I give one "nicer" item with several littler, more frugal items! Shhh-- don't tell my family! LOL

I found out about the Sears Friends and Family event here at GottaDeal last year, and I got some EXCELLENT deals on BF stuff! Everything was priced just like BF (except no early bird sales). There were waaay less people there and much better selection (which made it lots of fun- lol). Plus by signing up for a Sears card that night, I got an extra discount! Woohoo!! This was also a terrific help on BF, as my mom wanted us to go there. It was much easier to find things and to remember what was and wasn't on sale! So-- anyone (employees or whomever) know when this sale will be this year?? Last year, there was a copy of the flyer/invite online that we could print to take with us... TIA!!

There is a local candle company a few miles north of me called Lawrenceburg Candle Company. They have this amazing candle called Christmas Past (check it out here: http://www.lawrenceburgcandles.com/fragrance/xmaspast.htm ). It's difficult to describe, but every time you smell it and every time you light it, it has a different scent-- and all of them are wonderful!!! Sometimes it smells sweet with maybe a touch of peppermint; other times it's a slightly woodsy smell; other times it's something you can't quite put your finger on, but it's definitely a wonderful "Christmas-y" smell! As much as I love Yankee candles and most any other good candles, the Christmas Past candle has become the candle I burn more than any other during the holiday season! :)

Our big family meal IS Christmas breakfast, so it's an all-out feast at our house! Around 4:30 or 5:00, my parents and I start the preparations (I spend the night at my parents' on Christmas Eve), in order to have it on the table for everyone by 7:00. Usually, my 2 married siblings bring a sweet dish and/or fruit. My parents and I prepare eggs, bacon, sausage, country ham, biscuits, sausage gravy, country ham ("red eye") gravy, hashbrown casserole, plus add the leaves to and set the table. Oh, and sometime in between all that, we change out of our PJs and do hair, makeup, etc. Whew! So... we don't feel TOO guilty about letting my siblings do the dishes! Then after we open presents and the everyone else leaves for other gatherings, the three of us each find a comfy chair or couch and have nice, long naps!

Gosh, I feel like an oddball-- we've done Christmas breakfast first for as long as I can remember! But then again, my parents haven't had to deal with small ones that wake up too early in MANY years! I hate being alone on Christmas Eve, so I stay at my parents' house that night. The next morning, the three of us get up around 4:30 or 5:00 to start cooking. Christmas breakfast is our big family meal, so we have a HUGE spread of eggs, bacon, sausage, country ham, biscuits, gravy, etc... Everyone else knows to be there by 7:00 if they don't want to end up with cold leftovers! Then after everyone's eaten, we gather in the den and the young kids pass out all the gifts. However, I think the little ones got to open a few "Santa" gifts at home before they came over... And after all the gifts are opened and the mess cleaned up, the rest of the family heads out to other gatherings while my parents and I snack on leftovers and take naps!

Oooo-- slightly off topic, but... does anyone know where I could get some of that "caviar pearl bead garland" (or something similar) that's around the candles on the mirror (see last picture in JazzMama's post above)? I'd love to use something like that at my mom's, on top of a white sheet, with her SnowBuddies collection and/or her Christmas village... maybe hide some white lights in there somehow... I think it would be so much prettier than the white batting stuff we usually use!

How about a clear glass bowl (with or without a pedestal) filled with gold ball ornaments, with some sprigs of greenery and dark red poinsettias sticking out from between them (and maybe more greenery/pointsettias around the bottom, if it's on a pedestal)? Or use gold and dark red ornament balls? A similar idea would be a bowl of shiny beads in the same colors. Another idea that seems pretty popular is candles on top of mirrors. But right now, I'm drawing a blank on how to arrange that one, so hopefully someone else can give more ideas on this... I know I've seen other beautiful holiday centerpieces, but these were the first two that came to mind... hope this helps! :)

I regift fairly often, but usually it's the shower gels and bubble baths that come in gift sets (too drying for my skin) or occasionally a candle that I just can't use... I have one gift (a blanket that I don't need) that I got at work 2 or 3 yrs ago and want to regift, but I always forget about it until after I've finished shopping! LOL I think regifting is a good way to be resourceful, and sometimes it's the only way I can find and/or afford particular gifts that I know the new recipient will want. Living in a fairly rural area and with a pretty low income can sometimes bring a new perspective to things...

Check out http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?t=48999 for the stocking stuffers thread (it's in the GiftFinder forum)... As for stockings in my family: when I was little, there were full-sized stockings for both parents, me, my brother & sister, and a little one for my cats. But in recent years, since my parents are "empty-nesters," my mom puts a small amount of money and some candy in miniature stockings (the 2-3" ones) for everybody (immediate family plus spouses, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and any boyfriends/girlfriends that will be around). The fun part is, she and I hide them at various places on the tree on Christmas Eve... then before opening gifts on Christmas morning, everyone has to go find their stocking!

To expand on the above idea: Last year, I got my 19 year old nephew a gift card for gas, but I really wanted him to have something to open too... so I made up a simple "gift basket"-- one of those popcorn buckets that has microwave popcorn made into the bottom of it (used it as the "basket"), some candy and chips, a gift card from a video store worth enough for a couple of movie rentals, plus the gas gift card. He really liked it! If I was going to do gift cards for my nieces, I'd probably get each a small cosmetics bag (or a plastic basket with handle, made for carrying tolietries) and fill them with small bottles or tubes of lotion, shower gel, body mist, etc.-- plus a gift card for whatever store would be most suitable. Or if any of the older ones have their own place (or plan to have one soon), a basket with a few coordinating kitchen or bath items (neutral colors) and a candle or two would be nice, with a gift card to a store with more items like those. I hope this helps! Have fun!!

Sounds like your DH's grandmother is related to my dad! There are a lot of good suggestions here already... but based on my experiences, here's what I would probably do: find out what she does most days to occupy her time, as well as what she likes to do on "special" occasions... ask your SIL and/or other caretakers what she can always use more of... Do you (or other relatives) know something she is (or used to be) sentimental about? Then, take all these ideas (and any others you may come up with) to Wal-Mart, Target, Dollar Store, or wherever and start looking for things (big or small) that would fit into her life. You may end up with one gift or with a collection of small gifts combined into one. Or you may see something at a store that gives you an idea for something more personalized (like some of the other ideas posted here). What I've found is, with people like my dad or your DH's grandmother, it doesn't matter how original/unique/expensive your gift is-- they may or may not seem to appreciate it when you give it to them... BUT if it's something that fits into their lives in a real way, they'll appreciate it more than you may ever know and will actually get enjoyment out of it. And isn't that what gift-giving is all about: showing our love and appreciation in a more meaningful, concrete way? :) Hope this helps....

able, Could you expand a little about what kind of game you play with the gift cards, please? Our family has reached close to 20-- and all but 3 are adults! I can NOT convince them to try drawing names... buying something special for that many people can get pretty expensive for a single person with a very modest income! But with a good-sized gift card each, we could use them to get what we really wanted in the first place! TIA!!

My first stop on BF 2005 was Wal-Mart, too-- my smaller, hometown one. I got there around 4:30 or 5:00 am, and there were probably only 20-25 ppl in front of me! About 1/2 hour before opening, the associates handed out coffee and donuts. Woohoo!! But probably my favorite moment was when I got the 2 toys that a coworker asked me to pick up for her (she was at TRU, about 50 miles away). I told her I'd call to let her know I got them. She's the only person I've ever called who answered the phone with, "Did you get them??" (no hello or hey or anything!) It took me a second to answer her... finally I said, "Well, good morning to you too!"...... then confirmed I'd gotten what she'd wanted. lol She said when she saw my # on her phone, she knew who was calling and why! But it just felt nice to be able to help her out, esp. since she's usually the one so on top of things and seemingly "perfect"!

It's true-- check out walmartfacts DOT com then watch for "Wal-Mart Will Phase Out Layaway Program" on the changing headline at the top (a link to the article about this). This website is directly linked from Wal-Mart's corporate website, plus the contact info on this site is the same as Wal-Mart's, so I'm pretty sure this is legit!