Shortness

Yep. I got my new Stephen King book, and Brother Odd (Koontz) book. My two favorite gifts. I also got a badly needed knife set. I made out like a bandit!

Thanks guys for keeping track of the old guy. This is important information for one of mine!

Clap on! Clap off! Now I have that song in my head.

Very nice tree. I love your nativity set too. I really want a nice nativity set some day.

Yup.

She did just what I bet he wanted her to do. I'm so glad he found the right person to give it to, as so many would've kept it to themselves. Made me teary also. What a good person she is. I hope my kiddos turn out so well.

Our kids are allowed to go in the living room and go through their stockings without us (if we're not up). They cannot open gifts though. We bought our daughters each an electric scooter one year. We put them out in our pump house. We pulled them out when we got up--for one, we bought each one a specific type, and we didn't want one thinking they had one that they didn't. When I was a girl, I got a motorcycle. They put a blanket over it. I was not supposed to look until they got up. I actually didn't. Not all kids could help but look though.

Now. I enjoy torturing my kids.

Yup You should be safe now.

and I'm sorry that happened, really. I feel bad for you. But, gosh, that is funny. I'm sure he's seen stuff like that a lot--and probably knows by the "from" addresses the kind of items that are in boxes.

Yes. When my girls used to want Bratz dolls--if you didn't wrap them in another box, they always knew what they were. A few years back, some friends of mine wrapped a gift certificate for gasoline with some cement compound stuff, so it weighed a ton, and all it was was a piece of paper. They really had me wondering on that one. I have to say, that was an awesome gift.

Whew! I'm glad yours didn't end up like mine! Good save!

That's really an awesome deal. Great post!

Yikes! Where do you store them all? I'm not really ready. I haven't purchased everything, and I have some boxes in the garage that I have to open and wrap. I have to do it in increments though due to budget/bills, etc.

Uh, if any of my in-laws told me to spend $50 a piece on them, I'd have to laugh and ask them for a loan. We definately buy for all of our parents, but we cannot afford to buy for all neices/nephews/brothers, etc. They don't buy for us or our kids either--and it's all fine for all of us, thankfully. As Illinoismom said, a tin of cookies, or a gift bag with small goodies would be sufficient, in my opinion...

That's funny how we can convince ourselves of something. When I was little, I wanted this playset and it was /-\ <---that shape. There was something that shape under the tree for me and I just knew it was the playset. Ended up it was a lampshade... As a child, I must admit I was disappointed about a lampshade. Now, I don't care what it is, I'd just rather not know at all what it is until I open it.

Well, now my gift is ruined. My dh got me a commercial juicer, and it came yesterday in the box with it's picture all over it. Of course, I was the one home. I guess there will be no surprises this year... I absolutely love it, just wish I didn't know what it was already.

I think it'll actually work out nicely, as my parents also enjoy 24, but don't get to watch all the time either. Since he'll have the set, I think we'll burn it for them and give them that along with their other gifts so they can watch in their own time too.

I do have to move stuff. Luckily I didn't find any "surprises" like you did... We have to move my glider out to the garage to make space for the tree. Then, I go through my shelves and table tops to put all the pictures and knick knacks away so that I can replace them with Christmas stuff. I end up having things stuffed everywhere. I do find a lot of dust that I thought we were taking care of.. It's always a cleaning/sneezing day for me.

What a great idea. What a fun thing for your kids.

I think we will adopt that one from now on!

I'm glad it wasn't a main gift, but my dh ruined one of his already. We have always watched "24" on DVD from Netflix. We had cancelled though, due to lack of activity/waste of money. Anyhow, I found it on sale at Walmart.com awhile back, and used a gift card I had a remaining balance with and ordered it. Anyhow, this year his work schedule will allow him to watch the new season on TV, so he wanted this past season that I happened to order him. He tells me to renew the Netflix and make sure 24 is still on our list. I told him I would do it on the 15th, as that is when it's coming out (a tad bit of a lie). Then, I was planning on telling him I forgot to do it (as we're leaving town on the 19th). Anyhow, he goes and renews our Netflix account from work. Since it was always in my name, I find out with an email welcoming us back--and showing our next 3 rentals as "24". I called him up and gave him heck and told him he just ruined a Christmas present... I didn't know how else to avoid it. I knew Netflix wouldn't let us cancel right away. Has anything like this happened to anyone else? I'm bummed because I had to work hard to figure out things he wouldn't expect, and now one is blown.

Nope, not nuts--just don't be like me and forget where you put it. We have a small, crowded house, so I stash things different places I don't think they'll get into. I never buy a year ahead, as my kids always change their likes by then, but some people do and it works. My mom will stash things as well, and every once in awhile, during the rest of the year, she'll pull out this present or that--and say, "oh, I meant to give you guys this for Christmas"... and, yeah, I'm following in her footsteps...

You have such beautiful children. Your house looks very nice too.

I am and am not. We are taking our RV up north for the holiday, and I'm just worried about the roads/weather. We had a small accident with our last RV going up on one Thanksgiving, so I always worry now if we travel with the current one during winter. Plus, it means hauling all the presents up there, then hauling more back. Sounds terrible, but I'd prefer a leisurely Christmas at home in our pj's...