The title is my question. I tried to make it explanatory as I’ve seen complaints about vague thread titles, LOL.
I feel pretty good about some of the items I have purchased. Dh is giving each son a hefty monetary gift this year so I’m giving each of them just a little gift of some sort. I have enjoyed buying for “the girls” though… one DIL, one fiancee and one very S.O.
How are you doing?
I don’t even think about shopping until the day before Thanksgiving when the Black Friday ads come in…
Is it December 23 already? 
Are you trying to stress us out, @VaBluebird?!
I don’t start until after Thanksgiving. Most of my shopping is for my own 2 kids and they give me a list when they are home for Turkey Day. I do 95% online so once I determine what to buy, its pretty easy.
Husband is my elf and does all the wrapping. 
I have ideas for my kids. Not started yet, but plan to start shopping online this weekend.
It is always my intention to get all my shopping done on Black Friday and just be done with it. Never happens and then I never do any shopping between then and about Dec 20. I usually manage to get it done by the 23rd… sometimes.
I’m pretty much done because I’m not buying anything this year! One child is traveling to Southeast Asia for 10 days at Christmas. The other is doing Study Abroad next semester. Neither wants any stuff.
I honestly tried to do it when we were in Taiwan but couldn’t bring myself to get anything. Nothing was quite right and I really wasn’t in the mood. I will wait for amazing sales or give $$$$ this year, I think.
I shop very little. S attends school abroad and travels so he wants/needs only money. I will ask D and SIL what they want. I buy gift cards for 2 teen nieces, some stuff for H and stocking stuffers. That’s it.
Too early. At their ages, we enjoy a holiday eve special dinner out together (last year, everyone kicked in on that cost) and gifts are small. Then they make the morning brunch.
I don’t think I’ve ever shopped Black Friday.
I’m with you Vabluebird – already trying to come up with ideas (the buying is easy – it’s figuring out what to get and how much to spend). I wanted to get something for my fiancee and his daughters that didn’t shout “trying too hard”. And none of them need any more stuff. So I got tickets for School of Rock (his favorite movie) for just the 3 of them. Had to play around with dates to get decent seats but they are “wrapped” (saved on my hard drive) and ready to go!
I’m about half way finished. I have done all of it online, as with some health issues I’m currently having, I am unable to be out and about shopping. This is about where I usually am at this point, or maybe a little ahead. I admit that I do a lot of shopping but am almost always finished by December 1st, other than stockings which I only do now for the grandchildren.
Slightly off topic - the Christmas stockings!
We have five hand knit stockings. My mother knit mine, my husband’s and my oldest child’s (who got married this year). I knit the stockings for my two youngest.
I have never had a hard “empty nest sadness” moment, but I can feel it coming on as I anticipate putting up the stockings this year and deciding what to do with my oldest’s stocking.
Pass it on to him? Knit one for his wife? (I know her really well, but I don’t know if she has a stocking that she will take from her parents’ home.)
This thread just jolted me into thinking about it…
My shopping is well under way. I wouldn’t shop on Black Friday if you held an angry elf to my head.
I have bought two small gifts so far and am going to keep things to a minimum. Neither daughter needs much and when I go all out half of the items are never used. And most of my shopping is done online or at one or two stores.
@eastcoascrazy – re: stockings: my mother in law hangs her 4 kids stockings out each year- stockings from 60s & 70s. they didnt go to her kids. She’s added one for me and our kids as we are there at christmas time. It’s sweet and nostalgic seeing these old stockings, and i really appreciated seeing my name on one at their house when i was first married.
re shopping: I want to buy my 14 and 11 year old some toys. games. something fun! but not sure what. I’ll be on the lookout. For the first time we are doing “elf on the shelf” – because i feel like those years are fleeting with young kids.
I have what little shopping I do down to a routine. I buy sweaters for immediate family (DH, DD, DS) in late October at the very early sales, which go away until January. Then I buy socks for the next round of people (sisters, significant others of the kids, close friends, etc.) or knit hats. Those happen through mid December. There’s a small group of people who get amaryllis bulbs, ordered around now and shipped mid December… That’s it. Around now I start telling DH what I might like, too. I try to give him options. The kids are expected to update my electronic picture frame with new photos–and they do!
@eascoascrazy - My husband’s grandmother had made him a beautiful knit stocking - my MIL made me one when we married and then made them for the children. I love the idea of making one for your DIL and giving it to her and your son’s to him. I don’t have a lot of people to shop for - H and I did a fair amount of travel this year and that was our gift to each other. D usually gives me a list that I can choose from so I don’t really bother with Black Friday - I’m not a big fan of shopping to begin with.
I have done nothing. I don’t plan on doing anything. I do have a few things on a list that I’d like to get if anyone wants to ask me!
I feel stuck and Scrooge-like. Last year, I sent my son a gift certificate for his g/f for $250 to Williams-Sonoma. I have no idea if he gave it to her, as never got a thank u email.
My cousin has 7 grandkids. I always ask for suggestions. 2 boys wanted star war Legos, which was easy, though over $40.00. The others wanted cooking items. I asked their parents the kids favorite colors, and hit lots of stores to find baskets to put things in. I ordered aprons in the colors. I drove an hour to Ikea to to buy measuring cups, spoons, rolling pins, cups etc. BB&B for other items. I tied the baskets with dish towels. Also some easy mixes and colored sprinkles. 3 days of shopping. Well, I got one thank-you when gift given. Other comment, “When I saw it wasn’t exactly like my sisters, I didn’t bother”. The Lego guys? 2 months later, the dad said the boys got so many gifts he put those in a closet.
What to do?
Wow, I hadn’t even thought about it yet $-)