<p>Hits: my sis gave S a couple sweaters and a top. I gave him a shirt. Lo and behold it ALL fit (a total first) and he liked all of it. And is wearing it already.
I got a lamp which I TOTALLY forgot about (I picked it out). So that was a hit with me!
All sports fan stuff was a hit.
Gave D stacking wine glasses from Crate and Barrel–hit.
Not many misses this year.</p>
<p>Got myself 5 tops that I like and a pair of jeggings–HIT! Got H 3 pairs of PJ bottoms–one pair was a hit & will return the other two. Got S food–HIT! Got D food–HIT! Not sure about all the other “stuff.” H bought a lot of cordless bluetooth speakers, one of every size for each of us, hit for him but the rest of us are at best ambivalent about it.</p>
<p>We are still waffling about the Nook HD and no one has opened it yet. H did open the Kindle Fire HD, which we WILL use to watch free video from his Amazon Prime account, HIT.</p>
<p>Mostly, we are happy to have our kids home with us, BIG HIT!</p>
<p>My best gift this year is that both children and SIL are home for Christmas. This may be the last time they will be spending Christmas together for a while. S will be getting married next year and each kid will take turns spending Christmas with us and in-laws. Good thing is that both kids live in the same city and see each other often.</p>
<p>“Not sure about the other stuff”
Last year got a jambox (bluetooth speaker)–now EVERYBODY has their own.
Sis got me a “My Pillow”–I was pretty ambivalent–until I actually tried it. I tried it out so she could take it back…uh, not! Love it.
Sometimes you just have to try things out before forming an opinion. Hard to do sometimes 'cause opinions form really fast (especially in our family—usually before they should).</p>
<p>We tried telling DD that she would grow into her DD sports bra, but she’s not buying it.</p>
<p>I have only exchanged with parents, but I think we had pretty much all hits! My parents each got Kindles, and I got the X-Files (full series plus two movies) on Dec - it’s my all time favorite show, so I really wanted to own it! I also got a 500 Gb external hard drive and Brookstone sand, which is just amazing!</p>
<p>yds loved his solar powered watch.
mds loved his cord of wood.
dil loved her Juicy Couture necklace
ods loved his shirts and ties…he hates to shop.
Dh liked his growler from ods’s friends’ new brewery.
Dh and I LOVE the Roku.
Great time.</p>
<p>HotCanary, just save that bra until she’s pregnant.</p>
<p>We had some significant hits and misses this year but more or less it was a really, really nice Christmas. </p>
<p>A new winter coat for my dad was a HUGE hit. He was so happy and paraded around in it. He really needed it too, because his old coat was being held together by duct tape. </p>
<p>Even though they asked for it, the gift card to the new hot restaurant in town was a big hit with my brother and SIL. They didn’t expect to get it because the restaurant didn’t actually have gift cards until last Friday. </p>
<p>The framed wedding picture of my paternal grandmother, my dad and myself was a big hit with my grandma. (Though it was totally blown out of the water by the souped up new desktop computer from my uncle - total surprise and it made my grandma cry happy tears - great moment.)</p>
<p>The biggest hit was not really a present. My MIL fell asleep on the couch yesterday after we watched a couple movies together. While she was asleep my husband and I cleaned up the Christmas mess and he did the dishes. We left her post-its on the microwave wishing her a merry Christmas and thanking her for everything because we knew she would be leaving in the morning for work before we woke up. She left an ecstatic note next to the one we had left, so we think that went over well. :)</p>
<p>Our two misses weren’t a big deal but still unfortunate. We managed to find a gift set for my BIL that we had gotten him the year before and it was a big hit initially. Unfortunately, he realized that a bottle had been damaged and it had ruined the set. 
Then, we accidentally got MIL a DVD she already had because his brother neglected to tell us he had gotten it for her for her birthday. We knew this ahead of time though so we brought the receipt and the next day exchanged it for something she didn’t have.</p>
<p>We celebrated Christmas last night. I think everyone liked their gifts. Big hits were house slippers (Bearpaws) for DS and DH. DD got two necklaces and earrings that she liked. I got my iPad (well…I WILL get it after the first of the year). DS got some meat and fish rubs from Stonewall Kitchen. We all got books, and great candy. DS got some cash, and DD got new ski clothes.</p>
<p>Tomorrow DS cooks us a six course Christmas dinner which is his gift to us all. </p>
<p>We are happy to all be together for the first time since 2009…and will get a family picture too!</p>
<p>Bookworm: Ha!</p>
<p>I totally failed with my sister-in-law. She wears the dowdiest clothes and I tried to nudge her in a more fashionable direction. I got her a bit of an arty top and a gorgeous plain blue handknit sweater. Well not quite plain blue it gets darker at the bottom - but it’s totally inoffensive. I’m keeping it for myself - it longish so looks great with leggings and skinny jeans and fine with regular bottoms too. The top I’ll return to the store for one of the tops I knew she wouldn’t like, but I do. I’ll send her an LL Bean or Chadwicks gift certificate instead. She wears turtlenecks, so at least she can get some new ones.</p>
<p>The biggest hit was the silly crocheted hat I got my 19 year old daughter on Etsy (it is a take off on the anime character totoro) - she hasn’t taken it off her head for 3 days now!</p>
<p>My kids - 19 and 17 - like to watch youtube videos of a certain comedian every year at Christmas and this year he happened to be doing a show nearby on Dec 26 th. I surprised them with tickets and that gift was a hit. My favorite gift was tickets to basketball game at S University for all of us in January.</p>
<p>Hits: For DH, [Tabletop</a> Catapult Kit](<a href=“http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tabletop-catapult-william-gurstelle/1100060726?ean=9781435123472]Tabletop”>http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tabletop-catapult-william-gurstelle/1100060726?ean=9781435123472). He giggled like a little boy when he opened it.</p>
<p>For both of my Trekkie brothers, a picture story book called [A</a> Very Klingon Khristmas](<a href=“http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-very-klingon-khristmas-paul-ruditis/1114818943?ean=9781476746807]A”>http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-very-klingon-khristmas-paul-ruditis/1114818943?ean=9781476746807). Apparently Klingons sing war songs at Christmas.</p>
<p>D got a new Nook Glowlight. She had the first generation Nook from 3 or 4 years ago, which is now hopelessly outdated and clunky, and no fun to read on. Now that she’s graduated, she has time for pleasure reading again, and is delighted with the new Nook. Grandma kicked in a B&N giftcard to load up on nookbooks.</p>
<p>D is also a knitter, and I gave her a couple of skeins of yummy luxurious sock yarn.</p>
<p>We gave D and her boyfriend a Fandango giftcard. They love to go to the movies, but don’t always have the budget for it.</p>
<p>My 89-year-old mom got an Olive Garden giftcard. She rarely gets out anymore, and going out to eat is a big big treat for her. We would have taken her to OG anyway, but she was very excited to get the card.</p>
<p>And the cats liked their new catnip mice. :)</p>
<p>This was a really nice Christmas…in fact the whole season has felt joyful considering last year we were slammed by Superstorm Sandy. While we were fortunate to be among the first back in our neighborhood, we were living with only partial electricity and in a gutted house. We all still have work to do but the neighborhood is back to life and that feels wonderful. Decorated homes and Christmas lights are simply magical!</p>
<p>We all liked our gifts this year and they were so much better than last year which were primarily replacements for things we lost in the flood. The biggest hits were the Brookstone nap blanket in deep purple for S1’s gf and the Frontgate Comfy Couch for our dog. </p>
<p>The biggest miss was purchased by my SIL and it was such a miss that it was a hit for the moment. She purchased T-shirts for all of her nieces and nephews and they all had sayings that were unique to their personality. It clearly took some reflection and effort on her part and it was a nice themed gift. She captured both my S’s personalities…one with a military quote and one from Shakespeare. Then there was another nephew who is a skilled debater on the award winning debate team at his college…his shirt read “Master Debater” and SIL didn’t get the joke until my S covered the “DE” in the family photo! Needless to say, he removed the shirt immediately after but it was the joke of the night! :D</p>
<p>My S made my H and me each CDs with snippets of songs, commercials, theme songs from TV shows, lines from movies, etc that reminded him of each of us. It was outstanding. </p>
<p>For me, he included TV commercials that I worked on in a former life, a 1970s one-hit wonder song that has my name in the title, a Jewish prayer that I particularly like since my daughter’s name is in it, the part in the a Fiddler on the Roof song “Tradition” about the “mama who keeps a proper home so the papa can read the holy book” (clearly in jest!), songs I used to sing to them, songs that I associate with falling in love with my husband, and ended with the theme from Rocky (to reflect my Philadelphia roots) and the “yo, Adrian” line. It was unbelievable. He pays such close attention. He really has that gift for noticing little things. The one for my H was similar in spirit.</p>
<p>Wow, Pizzagirl, that is so thoughtful and sweet!</p>
<p>No she won’t turn into a 32DD when she’s pregant either - her whole ribcage will expand… Take it from one who knows. My whole frame changed shape. I’m amazed that there are 32DDs out there though!</p>
<p>I returned my sil’s top for another one I’ll wear tonight.</p>
<p>We were all amazed that there was such a size. Pizzagirl, what a great son!</p>