<p>My husband decided that a new tv would make a good Christmas present for himself. In past years I’ve given him a bicycle trainer apparatus, misc woodworking things from Rockler (apparently he can never have too many saws, router accessories, jigs, clamps).</p>
<p>Really nice sheepskin slippers, books, Eagle Creek packing cubes, laptop bag that lets him leave the LT in it through security, a large assortment of smart wool socks, cooking class, knife skills class, watch</p>
<p>You can make your H a photobook (selecting the photos for each page & it is bound by the company). Very lovely! You could also buy a digital photo frame & load it with favorite photos .</p>
<p>My husband and I are both usually hard to buy for. He always says he wants socks :mad:!! But this year he wanted a replacement for the old George Foreman grill as he is tired of the none removable plates - I ordered him a cuisinart griddler (also ended up getting one for my son in law as when my husband mentioned he was getting one for Christmas, my daughter commented that her husband had been wanting one). The my daughter called and asked if I though Dad would like a GPS. I wasn’t sure, but she had noticed him looking at the adds in the paper (I was oblivious). When she called back to talk about which one to get, we didn’t realize he had picked up the phone and he chimed in (and yes he had been wanting one - guess he is tired of my mapreading!!).</p>
<p>I’m getting a paperwhite kindle. My daughter was excited that she finally knows what to get me. She wanted to get it to me before we left to visit our son across country, but unfortunately they are not shipping until 12/21 and we will be gone. Would have been nice to have it for the long drive, very excited though - will be something to look forward to after the trip back which is good as I am always a bit sad when we return from seeing him - reminds me how far away he is.</p>
<p>Our son bought tickets to take us to see the Oklahoma City Thunder (the team we and he follow even though he now lives 1200 miles away in SC) play the Atlanta Hawks while we are visiting - very excited about that. I think I have got to the stage where I don’t really want more “stuff” (except I am *really *excited to get the kindle and for H to get a GPS), so experiences like the basketball tickets are a great gift - especially when we get to share the experience with the giver.</p>
<p>My husband’s birthday is also the beginning of December. I usually buy a very nice bottle of wine, gift certificate for his favorite Irish Pub, some Irish food items, gift certificate for a dinner cruise when we go to Florida, some music CD’s, an audio book, a good pair of sunglasses, a nice windbreaker, and this year I found a nice light cashmere sweater.</p>
<p>rushedmom, for elderly parents, I have been doing photo-related gifts. I scanned several family photos and gave it to them loaded into a digital photo frame for their 60th wedding anniversary this past summer. I made a Shutterfly photobook for them for Christmas.</p>
<p>H provides me a list with web inks! Some years he has bought his own presents but had me wrap them. This year he requested a beer sampler, PJs, socks underwear, and a special themed dinner event.</p>
<p>A couple of years ago I got my husband a turntable that saves his old vinyl records to mp3.</p>
<p>Parents in 70’s:
Wall Street journal subscription for dad who can afford it but doesn’t feel he can justify the expense
Mom: personal shopper at Nordstroms and $$. Breast cancer survivor this year and new hair color and texture have made her less secure about old wardrobe colors and fits. Shopping on us with a professional.
Finally a year where the adult children felt we nailed it.
Both big hits!
Husband…theatre here too and quirky (big Star Trek nerd)…target had Star Trek pez dispenser set for stocking stuffer…score!</p>
<p>Although I’d rather drive dull pencils through both eyes than shop, I’ve had a very productive and successful shopping experience online so far. One of the gifts I’m most excited to give is to my husband. My fingers were dancing on the keyboard the other day as I ordered Eric Clapton concert tickets for him. I scored great seats and can’t wait to see the look on his face. My parent’s TV has crapped out after 20 years, so DH and I, along with my two siblings and their spouses have agreed to surprise them with a new, big-screen TV. I’m usually the one who is difficult to buy for, but I’ve actually got a couple of things I want this year, so it should be easier for my family. My birthday is four days after Christmas and DH is always really good about making sure to separate the Christmas and birthday festivities and wrap my birthday gifts in birthday paper which I really do appreciate.</p>
<p>Heh. DH is extremely picky. He reads, he eats, he works. No sports, no exercise stuff, no concerts/theater, no sweaters, no PJs… My mom wanted ideas for him & I said to get him a gift card for books on his Kindle. </p>
<p>He needs a new knapsack, but Jansport has changed the belts on the one he likes. Needs 2500 cu. in. and a padded waist strap.</p>
<p>My bday is 12/26, our anniversary is 12/22. Hanukkah starts tonight. He has no idea what to get me. He was looking in my sewing room this afternoon scoping out the place and was asking me whether the sewing machine worked, etc., did I need anything else to finish the room, etc. I said I needed to replace the closet door, and he commented “that’s kind of hard to wrap.” Took me about an hour after that to realize he was trolling! 
The things I really need are time and health – so much to do and organize. </p>
<p>Actually, two things cross my mind: a slide/negative scanner, and a photo box to shoot items for the etsy site I am going to set up!</p>
<p>My BF gets comfy clothes and gadget related things. I get him the clothes because he needs them and WILL appreciate them, but I try to get him something else too because I know he doesn’t think he likes clothes. He got the fancy “nest” thermostat for our anniversary and was thrilled. to. death.</p>
<p>He is asking for this for christmas:</p>
<p><a href=“https://jawbone.com/up[/url]”>https://jawbone.com/up</a></p>
<p>So I guess I am getting him that because he asked for it, and the sweatshirt from the good buy thread so there’s at least something that’s a surprise. We are doing stockings for each other this year too, and I am thinking his will be mostly food, but maybe some new headphones, or a workout outfit or something too along with a couple basic tools his toolkit is missing now that we have a house and he needs them. Maybe some giftcards for his favorite restaurant, he can go with his work buddies at lunch. Next year we may just do the stockings because coming up with little “fun” gifts is a lot easier!</p>
<p>I picked up some ideas. I have ordered some travel cubes from ebags.
Swimcatmom- your post gave me a great idea. Both H and S are big Laker fans and have never gone to a game. I can’t believe how expensive tickets are but I think they will both love tickets to a game together.</p>
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<p>They might like memberships to ancestry dot com.</p>
<p>My DH is exceedingly easy to buy for; his requests never, ever change. This year I asked him, “PLEASE can’t I get you something different this year? A sweater? A game? A watch?” Nope. So it’ll be the usual: A gift card for Smokey Mountain Knife Works (he collects pocket knives), a renewal of his subscription to Smithsonian, and Harry & David pears. The man is nothing if not dependable. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>For parents in their seventies - bird feeders or houses, weather stations, rain gauges, jigsaw puzzles - and the price range is inexpensive mass produced to the personalized wooden ones made by Stave puzzles (can see online). Food gifts - fruit baskets to fully prepared meals to reheat (there are a couple threads going on mail order food gifts.) Y memberships, local theater subscriptions.</p>
<p>I must have my head buried in the sand. I never heard of travel cubes until I read this thread! I just looked them up…huh! They look cool. Do they really save a lot of room? My S will be studying abroad next year too…if it really saves room, then we will buy some for him! Thanks for the info! :)</p>
<p>I saw the packing cubes mentioned on a thread here last year and got DH one that he uses for his ties/cufflinks when he travels. Loves it – he had lost a couple pairs of cufflinks over the course of his many trips, so this keeps them organized and now he remembers to pack them in the first place. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, he would never use the other sizes. He already has his routine for packing everything else.</p>
<p>Got him a Kindle for his 50th bday. He is a huge bibliophile and prefers books, but he has come to really like the Kindle for his business trips. Saves lots of space and weight. </p>
<p>Every once in a while I get it right. :)</p>
<p>Lasma, I hope you got your pears with a Living Social discount! <a href=“http://www.livingsocial.com/deals/544948?rpi=95927320&ref=personalized-link-box-95927320&rui=5294069[/url]”>http://www.livingsocial.com/deals/544948?rpi=95927320&ref=personalized-link-box-95927320&rui=5294069</a></p>
<p>I gave my mother fresh veggies for a year= CSA = (community supported agriculture ) membership.
Win win for local ag and her. Look up your local farms at [Local</a> Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food](<a href=“http://www.localharvest.org/]Local”>http://www.localharvest.org/)</p>
<p>mom60 I’m sure they will love a Lakers game. We have gone on Christmas day several years in a row. It’s the one thing DD and DS both enjoy. It is expensive…but if you aren’t going on Christmas and if you aren’t picky about the opposing team you can find some decent prices on ebay. And now that the Lakers aren’t playing so well maybe even more so. I know DH is very unhappy that we don’t have Direct TV so we can’t get the games at home.</p>
<p>My husband and I are giving experiences… a cooking class, a trip to a winery… stuff we do together and enjoy together.</p>
<p>Experiences are what I’ve been doing for my hardtobuyfor DH and his parents for a while now. The problem is, what he really wants is “time” so I buy something like a lawnmowing service and then it becomes a yearly expense for me but I can’t bring myself to simply say " no gift this year, it’s the lawnmowng again."</p>