<p>The big hit in my house was the Shalimar I gave my middle-schooler. She had found an old atomizer of my moms (who she never met) that still held the scent, if not any actual perfume. She fell in love with the fragrance, but we were shocked to learn how expensive it had become. I searched all over the place and found some on Amazon for quite a bit below the sticker price and boxed it up for her with a letter about her grandmother. It’s all she talked about for the rest of the day.</p>
<p>Got my boys each a set of ring stix (outdoor toy from Amazon). Let them open them Christmas eve while the 4&6 year old cousins were over and all 4 had a great time with them!</p>
<p>One of the art students at the college where I work made ceramic mason jar cups in various colors to raise money for a department trip to Mexico City — they were so cool!</p>
<p>I didn’t even know we had the atomizer! My sister had given D some old purses a few years ago and it must have been in there. It probably WAS expensive, but I don’t remember it being $50 and up for even the smaller bottles. I’m sure my mom, who could make a penny scream, wouldn’t have had the entire collection if it did. Then again, it was her only indulgence.</p>
<p>Hexbug nanos [Nano</a> - HEXBUG](<a href=“HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures | HEXBUG”>HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures | HEXBUG) that I found for $1.50 each on markdown at Michael’s in October, and used as stocking stuffers. Just the bugs, no tracks (at least not yet). So far they have raced around the living room, in the upstairs hallway, and clear under the (not turned on at that moment) stove which entailed an enthusiastic and successful rescue mission. Best $4.50 spent of the entire holiday season. I could have just stopped shopping right then.</p>
<p>Best gift to us was having our D & S home for the holidays & a considerable time before & after. Best gift from S to D was an upgrade to 1st class on her flight back to school. Best gift to S–hmmmm not quite sure yet. No “home runs” that I’m aware of for him, other than being home with all of us. He’s considering whether he wants to keep or return the wool car coat I bought him.</p>
<p>in our case, the biggest gift may have been our decision not to do gifts (among other things, our S feels guilty about all the money we spend on his music education, facing college and prob a new violin that will cost as much as a typical car these days…), and having that pressure off was kind of nice, it does make things more relaxed.</p>
<p>I did get a good gift, though, I finally put the bird feeders up we took down thanks to Sandy, and our resident Cardinal has returned, though not without giving me a mouthful of lip for not keeping up with the feeder <em>lol</em>…and seeing all the bird eating in the snow always makes me grateful that I can do that for them, though the squirrels can go fly a kite, I am at war with them …<em>smile</em></p>
<p>Mine is a little odd, a 5 piece set of stainless steel tweezers that I use for weeding designs cut on my electronic cutter. I have an old pair of long tweezers that I use, but every time I drop them on the travertine floors, the tip bends a little and I have to have my husband file them down. My new set is much stronger, with precision points in 5 different sizes. My husband took it upon himself to buy this for me, I didn’t ask for it, which makes it even better!</p>
<p>My needs/wants in presents are very small, not into spending big $$$ on jewlery or such.
This vexes my DH who would enjoy buying me something lavish.</p>
<p>My favorite gift this year is a small ‘soothing sounds’ machine thingy that sits on my nightstand and plays really soft relaxing sounds to fall to sleep by.
DH knew I’ve been struggling with sleep lately and thought it was worth a try.
I love it!</p>
<p>From D to S: S had said that he really wanted and needed his car detailed and would love it as a Christmas gift. Since D is employed in social services, so doesn’t make a lot of money and is very good at cleaning cars, she decided to do that. She cleaned it on Christmas Eve, inside and out. She took all the “stuff” he had in the car, put it in 5 different boxes and made a gift tower out of the boxes. It was hysterical to watch him open the first couple before he realized it was all from his car. The first box held a power strip, second box was a pair of his shoes, then he got the idea. It was great, we laughed so hard and he was VERY appreciative of having a wonderfully clean car (and now could find all his “stuff”).</p>
<p>Happymom, Hexbugs in the stockings were the big hit at our house too. We couldn’t open presents until the guys had 1)freaked out the cats, 2)discussed the science behind them, 3)tried to modify them, etc., etc, etc. It was a great Christmas morning.</p>
<p>I’m mostly re-gifting this year. My son’s great gift to me was finding my lost car key! I gave him a book that I had given my Mom in her final years and I am going to send him a rug and some chairs. Call me exciting!</p>
<p>My little sister is OBSESSED with a British boy band (not the one you’re thinking) and my older sister got her their calendar. My older sis wrapped in an old Uggs box with some pink slippers she also got for her. My little sister nearly cried, lol. It was so cute since she wasn’t expecting it.</p>
