For what it is worth, my son and his family use the SkyLight calendar and it is on my daughters wish list.
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My kids like to buy each other socks. I think it somehow linkes back to Harry Potter and Dobby.
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When my kids were much younger (HS, still living at home), I tried to encourage them to get presents for each other/the family. My older son had no clue what he should buy, so I suggested maybe he get everyone themed socks. He found some great socks!
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My kids do whatever, it varies depending on how their year is going. I do not have anything to do with it. Same thing with my own siblings – we have one who always gives us gifts, and we stopped doing that a long time ago but it makes them happy so I just roll with it.
Well I decided to check the University bookstore before buying from Fanatics and wouldn’t you know there was a sale! So no bathrobe for SIL and instead I got him a 1/4 button hoodie that I liked ($15 off) and daughter a hockey jersey ($20 off) which she will love. $12 to ship to their house and they won’t be wrapped. Oh well.
It took me about 20 minutes to fill out the order as I had to register for an account with my name and address, then change that for shipping to them, then change it back again for my billing address… Yesterday when I ordered from Macy’s I picked something from their wedding registry and had to go in and change that address as they don’t live there anymore, but I get free shipping at Macy’s so I’ll jump through a few more hoops without complaining.
I’m on an ordering frenzy now. But oh what to give my picky picky daughter whose birthday is Sunday.
My kids had very cute purple dinosaur bathrobes as kids but we used them as swim cover-ups because they were easier to walk to and from the pool in than a towel.
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My kids are always buying each other presents but it isn’t equal. There is a huge difference in their incomes so it’s never going to be equal. The low income one worked for the Gaylord corp in Nashville and they had really good employee sales so she got some great bargains there for gifts (shirts, jackets, sweats, posters). Their birthdays are on either side of Christmas so that plays into it too.
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I know a few young families that have these and love them. What a thoughtful gift. Don’t second guess yourself. She will love it.
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The CleverMade baskets arrived the other day and the Creative Green Life ones arrived tonight. The CleverMade baskets have a very cool “Snaphinge” that automatically will open and close with a little bit of pressure, but not so little that I anticipate them opening/closing when I don’t want them to. The bottom is reinforced, but the sides are a thin fabric-y/paper-y feeling polyester. I wouldn’t want to carry shears or sharp tools in this, but it totally seems hardy enough for groceries (including 2 gallon jugs). It folds down to a low height, but it doesn’t seem as neat when closed as the Creative Green Life one.
The Creative Green Life bags weren’t as big as the CleverMade ones, and they reminded me a bit of the fabric cube storage bins one puts in a bookcase with like one foot squares all around. As alluded to earlier, it collapses into a neat, low stack. This will definitely look nicer in one’s trunk when collapsed than the CleverMade ones. But, this one has that same thin, cloth-y/paper-y fabric, but on the bottom. There is a panel that one needs to push down to create a more solid surface, but it doesn’t actually reinforce the fabric itself. In opposition to the CleverMade ones, the Creative Green Life bags were reinforced on all sides, except the bottom. So maybe if you were going to carry light, sharp things, this might be better (hangers or floral wire or…?), but I don’t see as much utility for me in this one. This set will be going back to Amazon.
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Our five kids have been doing a secret Santa for several years now, mom and dad are not a part of it. Our 24 year old wanted to switch it up this year and buy for all, she was vetoed.
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My 2 kids (plus SIL) buy each other gifts and enjoy doing that.
My own family stopped sibling gifts when we were in our 20’s.
H’s family still buys for everyone but I bowed out of that several years ago after the number of people I had to buy for became overwhelming. They also exchange birthday and anniversary gifts. There was a lot of disappointment from them at first but I stuck to my position. They found joy in all of this (which is valid) and I found a lot of stress (which is also valid).
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The Clever Made makes the same style with rip stop nylon vs that papery stuff. I sent back the ones with the paper type stuff.
The main difference is material and durability: traditional CleverMade Baskets (SnapBaskets) use tough, rip-stop nylon that holds up well, while the newer CleverMade EcoBaskets use a lighter, papery fabric that’s less durable but often includes a convenient shoulder strap and comes in smaller, cart-friendly sizes, making them great for lighter loads or different outings but less robust for heavy groceries than the originals.
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Do you have a link to the ones with the ripstop nylon? I was only able to find the papery stuff and then some canvas ones (the LUXE versions)…which I may have on their way to my house to check out…
For S23, I made a Shutterfly album of his study abroad photos. I used the photos he texted us while he was away (lots of selfies in front of historic landmarks), and included goofy ones he took of his teeny tiny apartment in Paris and the food he ate on his travels. Kids don’t think about printing out photos, so hopefully this will be a fun keepsake of his adventures.
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Alas, I can’t find them! They are (were) the best. Had them several years. They were 20L and I think perhaps they only make the 30 now out of the stupid paper stuff (although still useful). I did order a fabric 30L one though just now on Amazon (grey). They really are my “go to” basket for travel and just every day. I can throw whatever I need in there–jacket, purse, books, snacks, drink etc and then grab and go.
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If your DIL mentioned the Skylight Calendar then get it for her. Don’t let S1 be a bah humbug!
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My son has been in England since august, I think he sent one photo. Wait, no he didn’t, his friend’s parent sent me that. I do have a photo of his X-ray before he had surgery there.
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My 3 sons exchange gifts. One has a good job and 2 are grad students so there is a price disparity. Two of them and us provide lists of categories and/or Amazon links to choose from. The 3rd likes to be surprised and often to give surprises, which have been hit or miss with his siblings. I still give small gifts to my siblings and DH does to his. But we no longer give gifts to adult nieces and nephews of which there are many, many with their own children and for one a grandchild.
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I give to great nieces and great nephews and nieces & nephews until they start college. After that I stop unless I’m a godparent (then I continue forever).
I generally give a book or something small (food, jacket, sweater, etc) and a check/cash. I used to try harder with my godson but he never seemed to use any of the many gifts we gave him so now I’ve given up and gift food & cash.
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Here’s a question/situation for you - “What would you do?”
Someone in our orbit buys presents not on anyone’s list, often the wrong size (even if told the right size), and things that simply won’t or can’t be used. For example, my husband received drugstore sunglasses (he MUST wear prescription glasses or he can’t see) and flip flops (he NEVER wears them, even sandals worn very occasionally have back of foot support), and shorts more appropriate for a high school kid, in a styles/colors most people would never wear. I receive beauty products which look suspiciously like they have been tried before gifting (I promptly throw them away, sadly), and costume jewelry, which I never (well, very very rarely) wear, or clothes that simply don’t fit, or in some cases I would never wear. Gift receipts are never supplied. This has happened for years and years, multiple times per year. Would you have a talk with the person, keep smiling and nodding, or what? It’s all just money wasted, or things donated. We don’t want to seem ungrateful, but on the other hand this person knows some of the things just aren’t right, and yet it continues. We have tried politely saying “you should supply gift receipts when you give someone a present,” but it hasn’t happened. Thoughts? It’s really not a big deal to us, but we hate seeing all the money just “wasted.”
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My sister in law used to give us lots of “wrong” gifts. We were successful many times in returning them to Walmart who has a generous no receipt return policy.
Donate what you can, it is not a waste if somebody can use it.
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