Maybe the kids who don’t give presents are afraid they’ll be labeled Scrooge gifts.
My daughter receives $60 allowance per month and has for the last 4 years. We require that she does the following each month: save $10 for Christmas gifts, give $5 to church, put $5 in savings account and she can spend the rest as she sees fit.
I will say all three of my kids gave me very thoughtful gifts this year. DD noticed that the old pitcher we used to fill water goblets at formal meals was very hard to poor from without dripping and gave me a beautiful glass pitcher with a good spout that pours perfectly to replace it. The boys pooled their money and bought a joint gift for me, a mold for my glass art hobby, something that needed to be special order. It’s perfect because it represents their tastes, very modern and angular and is a little more challenging than molds I usually work with. I can’t wait to see what I can do with it!
My kids worked together to buy us a water rower, including having us try one out, researched the best place to purchase it, had us select our preferred finish and arranged for shipping and delivery. S also bought us a scratch-off map with places we have visited.
A dear friend made a photobook of a trip we took to Glacier—H and me and her and her husband. It’s priceless!
@1Dreamer , I was up early this morning before the rest of my house and when I read about the “red poncho” I burst out laughing, loudly enough that I thought I might wake one of my kids. Just visualizing that still makes me chuckle!
No complaints here. D18 though, a freshman in college, made this amazing photo book for dh and me that started with photos of her when she was a baby. She put in some funny captions and some heartfelt captions, and in the end, I was crying b/c it was so special. Then she started crying when she saw me crying.Just thinking about it is making me tear up. Apparently she put the whole thing together when she was home for Thanksgiving break, saying how hard it was b/c she was using my computer which is out in the open and she was worried I might see it. She said she was trying to finish it in time for the Black Friday special. I’m sure it didn’t cost much as a result. She got me a couple of other things as well, but really didn’t need to as this one meant the most.
It saddens me to see mention the excuse that kids can’t really give a gift b/c they don’t have their own money. My oldest is only a freshman in college and while she has had part time jobs and babysitting earnings, my youngest is only 12 (she actually does have her own money from a couple of babysitting jobs as well as birthday, Communion, etc money). Still, my favorite gifts from my younger kids were always those that they made - a picture printed off the computer with a handmade frame, etc. On the side of my fridge, I have an 8x11 sheet of paper that one of my kids made for me for Mother’s Day one year - all it has is a collage of words on it that he/she felt described me. One of my sons one year ordered me a 12-pack of TicTacs from Amazon - maybe cost about $10. Some might think it funny, but I had commented once how hard it is to find the flavor I like sold around here (wintergreen) so he found them on Amazon and had dh order for him. To me, it was the thought that counted - he remembered a passing comment when trying to think up something on his own I might like (and I did!).
I showed my daughter your Christmas poncho post…and she cracked up!
^^^The member in the link I provided ( @cameo43 ) deserves credit for that post, not me. I just remembered it from last year and reposted it because I thought it was so funny.
I kept picturing the OP deciding she should put in on before her niece came over – or meeting her somewhere wearing it just to be polite, and then having her niece ask her why she’s wearing the tree skirt. :))
Ah! Why I want to know is…did she use it as a tree skirt!?
I just got DH a great new griddle. I know it will be his very favorite Christmas present. I know it. Oh…and I got him a swanky new scrubber for non-stick pans…that cost $10. I put that in his stocking. I’m sure he will like it too.
Like @intparent , we had the big dinner on Christmas Eve, and I think it will be a permanent change. I had cooked many of the dishes ahead, and reheated them while the turkey was in the oven. Yesterday after presents and brunch, we just snacked on leftovers. Most relaxed and enjoyable Christmas in years!
Regarding gifts to parents – my D just commented that while they were little, each parent worked with them to pick a gift for the other parent, wrap it, and label it “from them”. We even continued doing it a few years after our divorce. We did the same with theit subs. Then a couple years into college D1 took over her own gift giving, and D2 at about the same point. They even stuff my old childhood stocking for me now. 
(Truffles & a donation to a charity I like this year in the stocking!)
I had surgery a week ago, so DH & DD have had to step up and do the meal prep. (I had already done most of the shopping, wrapping, & a little bit of baking beforehand.) Most relaxing (for me) holiday ever - now to make their contributions stick in future years!
Wishing you a speedy recovery, @yauponredux!
My son’s (& g/f’s) gift box arrived today, tho mailed 12/11. It included a mug with 3 photos of him, framed photos of them, a blanket from the school she works at, and other small items. Everything was individually wrapped. I’m content. Nice when your best gifts come from your child
We had 5 delivery disasters this Christmas (one each from Amazon, Victoria’s Secret, C. O. Bigelow, Wolferman’s, and Barnes and Noble). On the plus side, all the items I shipped from FedEx arrived intact and before the promised delivery date, so it can be done.
Each of my kids surprised me with a great gift this year. The oldest, who just had her second baby, gave me a beautiful photo book of the grandsons. Of course I love it. The youngest stood in a long line and got me an autographed copy of HRC’s book. And the middle d gave me an original painting of the bridal bouquets she and her sisters carried. I don’t remember ever being happier about holiday gifts.
I have a favorite charity and so does my D. Close relatives gave money in our names as a holiday gift. It was lovely and generous. Thoughtful—not really. $$ went to a charity we knew nothing about and the connection to us was unclear. I am happy they were philanthropically inclined, which isn’t the norm.
George Costanza’s “The Human Fund”?
" I got $20 worth of Post-It notes. Whoever thought that was a fun gift, I don’t know."
My D woulda loved it. Good idea for next year!
My H does great because I buy stuff for me and wrap it–Always happy! And it’s usually a surprise because I forget what I bought. He cooks and helps entertain so much which is the real gift to me–that’s what I really want–to sit and enjoy.
This was the first year ever we opened (bit more than half) of gifts on Christmas Eve since son had to leave fairly early on Christmas Day. Think we’ll keep it. Relaxing, no hurrying to do food. More laughs. Nicer in the morning to eat breakfast and then have more fun opening a few more.
Also this is the first year I cut every possible corner on the cooking front–less dishes, stream-lined prep (maybe not “homemade” but “good enough”) , made lunches and sides ahead, more paper plates.
Left a lot more time for playing games and talk which is a delicious gift.
But we did get an “alligator” paper towel holder that my H loves and I’m “much less partial to”.
8-|
I am going to ask for a gift of Christmas wrapping paper as I ran out of it finally! It was a gigantic pack of several rolls that - I kid you not - I bought from kiddo’s school gift wrap fundraiser. That was 16 years ago…
BB–I’ll give you paper! A couple years ago I finally sent off a ton of rolls not because the paper was bad (quite the contrary) but because everyone in our small family had seen it umpteen bazillion times. Along with a “cookie exchange” a “paper exchange” would be good.
@BunsenBurner, I loved that school fundraiser paper, but I ran out years ago.
I mostly use bags now. I’ve even taking to reusing the tissue paper multiple times.