thumper1

I want Nate Silver's book. And I really want my son to come here for
Christmas...but that's not going to be happening...unless he travels on santa's sleigh.

cnp55

I want something very specific from my sons' college -- a wool blanket from their sheep project. Of course, I have wanted this since 2005 and even though I have seriously hinted they haven't managed it yet. I don't want the king size version -- just the little lap robe.

Maybe if I hint on CC? Or maybe I just do what I always do ... order it myself!

MyLB

Thanks for asking! I'm the only female in the family (including the dogs) and nobody ever seems to get around to thinking about me.

I haven't really thought about it (cf: first paragraph), but besides a diamond tiara, I might actually be trying to get some new baking sheets/cookware. One half of my double oven conked out several years ago and despite all of the tuition $$s flying out the window, I might actually replace it in the next few weeks. My baking stuff is all pretty old and ratty looking.

Re: the holiday itself, this will be the first year my family hasn't been together. Ever. DS#3 and gf are taking off for a fun winter vacation (two trips, actually!). DH has some vacation days to use up so he and DS#2 are probably going skiing. DS#1 is "between jobs", but is planning on getting some seasonal retail/restaurant work and I'm sure won't have much/any time off. Once I realized and accepted it was probably going to be just me and the dogs, I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. Long days with nothing on the calendar--life could be worse. And lest anyone feel too sorry for me, one kid came home last night, another is due home Monday, so we'll have most of Thanksgiving week as a family. That's a lot right there.

danceclass

MyLB, You sound like you have a resigned, but healthy attitude. I'm facing kind of the same thing here since I've become an empty nester. Everyone's off doing their thing and I'm left alone. But, you know, as long as I know they're all happy in what they're doing, I don't mind as long as I get a text from time to time. I have my own things going and I kind of like the peacefulness. As to what I want for Christmas, no objects! I have too many material possessions to store as it is. Experiences would be nice - art classes, yoga membership, weekend at a B&B. Something along those lines.

futurenurse3

I want a lot of stuff that will help me in college next year.

FallGirl

I'm the head dog walker here (and I love to walk anyway), so I would like a "rain suit" to keep me dry. I found one at a local golf store (I like the way it looks and it fits well) and have already told H about it.

Kajon

I want two pair of SmartWool socks and an indoor grill with enough power to sear my tuna or make grill marks on my chicken breasts.

My Mom,sisters and I always send each other stocking stuffers because empty stocking are sad.

VaBluebird

No idea and no real wants. Whatever comes my way, I'll be surprised!
I probably should give them all some ideas.

Youdon'tsay

I want ds2 to get into his EA college, and I want ds1 to get home from study abroad safely. If I get both those things for them, I don't care about anything material for myself.

thumper1

I got a reply from Santa who has ordered The Signal and the Noise, Nate Silver's book, for me for Christmas! Woohoo!

swimcatsmom

For me, Kindle paperwhite and some e-books to go on it. Family is excited that for once they actually have an idea what to get me. I am excited there is something I really really want.

My husband wants a new George Foreman Grill. We have the old one that the plates do not remove from and he wants one where the plates come off for washing. I am excited that for a change I actually have an idea what to get him. I am being tempted to get a cuisinart one with removable plates instead. It also has available waffle plates. The reviews on Amazon are mostly very good but with a few pretty bad ones thrown in.Anyone own it and have opinions? He also want socks.

I think we are doing 2 Christmases this year. Husband and I are traveling to visit our son in South Carolina for a 10 days. Excited to get to see him and spend some time with him and have not seen him the last 2 Christmases as he had to work (plus lives 1200 miles away). He is not scheduled to work Christmas day, but if he gets asked to the money is hard to say no to (12 hours double time plus 8 hours pay for working a holiday). Probably do some sort of Christmas dinner with him either the actual day or day before, then do Christmas with our daughter and SIL when we get back. Son has bought tickets to take us to see the Oklahoma Thunder play in Atlanta while we are there so that will be our Christmas present from him. Really looking forward to it.

We are kind of boring. Funny how you change as you get older. When i was younger I would have been very peeved to receive a household appliance as a Christmas or birthday gift. Now I have so few wants and needs that if there is some appliance I do want, it is a relief to have the perfect answer to the "what do you want for Christmas" question.

swimcatsmom

We already have the biggest gift. My husband is still here. He has been battling esophageal cancer since November last year and we were not sure he would make it. Has made several big milestones since he was diagnosed. Daughter's college graduation, then her wedding (him being there was the biggest gift of all), and now we get another Thanksgiving and Christmas.

garland

Swimcatsmom--yes, that's the greatest gift. Wishing you many more Thanksgivings and Christmases.

Holidays definitely have become more a matter of the gathering on the day, than the stuff. My family's really trying to de-emphasize "things": everyone's feeeling the economy, and we don't need stuff.

Unfortunately, the one exception as far as cutting back is my brother and his wife. They're not rich, but they go bargain-hunting all year and bring loads of stuff that mostly isn't what anyone wants--gewgaw type things which the rest of us dread having to bring home. No one wants to hurt their feelings, but it's such a waste for all involved. When the subject is broached, they say "but we do it for ourselves; it makes us happy" which begs the question of why they don't seem to care about what others think or what makes us happy.

Figuring out where to give the stuff away turns into a chore, but I feel guilty throwing out perfectly good objects (which is not a big problem in the scheme of things, of course. just an odd ritual we go through every year.)

swimcatsmom

Can you donate the items? Salvation army, Habitat restore - something like that? It does kind of seem they are missing the point about gift giving.

I quite understand how you feel. We have too much in the way of "geegaws" already. If I had my life to do over I would avoid accumulating too much cr*p. My husband's last checkup at MDA in Houston we visited his ex boss and wife. They have downsized to a beautiful condo in an area where they can walk by a manmade river to most everything they need in the way of shops and restaurants. Said it took them about three years to get rid of stuff accumulated over the years and they still have 2-3 storage units to go through. I would love to do the same. So much stuff I don't know where we'd start. We told our neighbors if our house catches fire when we are gone, rescue the cat then wait an hour and call the fire brigade.

garland

yes, we do look for places like that to give things away. Some is too junky, though. i tend to quietly chuck it.

The sight of people in NJ having to throw away piles of storm-wrecked belongings has really made me realize that the "stuff" i hold onto "just in case" really is extraneous. (Obviously people have serious losses; I am in no way belittling those--just that I realize if that were to happen to me, much I'd thought of as irreplaceable is really not so.) Time to do some serious triage.