<p>missypie…I get the Uggs at Nordstrom. Just a bit less there than zappos. Yeah, my 17 yr. old wants everything here, too. She is my clothes horse/designer girl. I did just find an Ed Hardy shirt for her at TJ Maxx for $29.99! I have also been making weekly trips to Bloomingdale’s to check mark downs on clearance in the designer jeans area. She is a 0 so I can usually find something for her. She also wants a winter purse but I haven’t had much luck so far. I refuse to spend big $$$ for it.</p>
<p>You didn’t find any purse deals at TJ Maxx? How about Marshalls? I’ve found beautiful Lucky brand purses for my daugher at both stores.</p>
<p>I’m a huge zappos fan…free shipping there and back and importantly (when you’re buying 2 pairs of Ugg boots) no sales tax. (So it really makes the boots cost about $7 less per pair…which works because shipping is free.) I actually bought two different sizes for the younger daughter, and will return the one that doesn’t fit right after Christmas.</p>
<p>Another Zappos fan here.
At stores the selection in my size is quite limited. I love buying pretty shoes at Zappos. Returns are just as easy as they say.</p>
<p>I’m thinking about buying two plane tickets to HI for H and me (this or tickets to see The Loin King the musical when it comes here in March). And for the young ladies… I have a Garmin for one (pink!), and the other one gets Costco iTunes cards (her dorm room can not handle any more stuff). So if I do get those tickets, we are going to spend more than we usually do! Another person who is on my giving list is our pet sitter, who was very brave to give shots to one of my cats! She will get a garden statue of a cat made from scrap metal welded together. I know she loves this kind of stuff :)</p>
<p>HI is having some amazing deals & the crowds are thinner than usual, which could make your trip much more enjoyable. We’re even tempted to play tourist & see & do things we don’t normally because I’m not fond of crowds & this might be a good time to avoid them.</p>
<p>Zmom…Thank heavens MN doesn’t have sales tax on clothes/shoes!!! D1 won’t even buy clothes at school in Iowa because she is saving money" and won’t pay the tax. Now if I could just get her to pluck her own brows instead of having them waxed for $20 plus tip!!! sheesh…her logic makes me dizzy!!!</p>
<p>NM - d@mn frozen fingers! HA-HA-HA! I think I’m not gonna edit it May be I should ask Santa for fingerless gloves so I can survive this winter in my polar office?</p>
<p>I’ve told everyone that this year we’re not buying lots of “stuff”. Our first child is now in college, with the second following right behind. Money is tight, husband’s job is always a worry. I would like to create a Christmas experience instead and use our dollars to support those in the performing business as that is what our oldest son is pursuing. We will be doing dinner out at a nice restaurant the day after Christmas and seeing a show together as a family. They all may get a new item of clothing, etc and then some fun things in a stocking.</p>
<p>Went to see Wicked! on Sunday night. Loved it! Didn’t realize that it would be so funny! Guess I could count that as a Christmas present to myself!</p>
<p>I’d love to receive a water color painted just for me!</p>
<p>What gets out of control from both an expense and a time standpoint are the gifts that my girls want to give their friends. For those of you who have only boys, you can only imagine the type of holiday gift giving that goes on among the drill team/dance company/cheerleader set. I’d love to find the perfect $5 gift and buy 20 of them!</p>
<p>It does get out of hand! D2’s group draws for names and then each girl just has to get one gift to exchange. Seems to work for them.</p>
<p>In the past I have found adorable containers in the dollar spot at Target and filled them with candy and cookies. They have some cute felt ones this year!</p>
<p>Trying to buy less stuff this year. It seems year after year you end up buying stuff just for the sake of buying stuff. Do you really need to get a Norman Rockwell puzzle. I think we tried to sell some at a garage sale and no one wanted them at 50 cents. This year we are trying to give things that are more meaningful. My son wants some used ice skates and a “This American Life” mug. He said,"Sending me to the college of my dreams is enough. Daughter wants some clothes. My wife is giving her sisters gift certificates for Southwest Air to go to girls weekend in Las Vegas for her Mom’s 80th birthday. We are giving her parents an African child with Aids. We already have one that we send $30 a month plus gifts quarterly. The letters and pictures we get are worth every penny that we spend. I giving my brother and his wife who live on the East Coast a night at the hotel near my son’s college so when we visit him in February, they can join us. Getting my parents a Kindle to share with some books already loaded on. My wife and I will most likely just give each other something small as we really do not need anything but the continued love of family and friends and our health. I guess the best gift my kids can give me is that they continue to find me relevant and enjoy my company and share their lives and experiences.</p>
<p>I too am getting a Kindle for H. Boy 1 wants a lift ticket for a ski week with his roommates. Boys 2 and 3 I can’t mention on here, because boy2 is applying to colleges, and I think checks every once and awhile to make sure I’m not giving away any secrets!</p>
<p>We are going to make it real simple this Christmas. Trying to keep our costs and expenses down. I’ve have become addicted to beading and I am making beaded bookmarks/thongs to give to my co workers. I am also going to give out My homemade Fruit and Nut Granola. I will also make some pepper jelly. My D will either get some ugg boots or money. Hubby and I will exchage something small, not sure what. My nephew will get a gift card for something for his wii.</p>
<p>I looked at our pictures from last year’s Christmas. Did not get that much then either. I really had little memory of it. The boys all got winter jackets, some ski pants, sweaters, scarf, hat, gloves as their main gifts. All sale items drastically reduced. Also some books and miscellaneous items that I picked up on sale. I think I spent about a $100 per kid.</p>
<p>If you like the classic quality toys, wooden or educational, the kind that can be heirlooms, it can easily go over $300 a kid for the younger kids. My niece wants the Samantha American Girls doll that is being discontinued after this year. That is $100 just by itself. A few accessories and clothes and you are already up there. A couple of pieces for her doll house, some clothes, books, puzzles and you have spent a fortune. The little guy is getting a wooden castle and knights which is not cheap either. That and a big duplo set, books and small stuff and again you are getting close to $300. That’s even before the stocking. </p>
<p>Our stockings can get expensive. I have Christmas bags for each person that I fill with the stocking stuffers. With chocolates, popcorn, nuts, orange, gingerbread cookies, hot chocolate samples, candy, candy cane alone it gets way up there. I’ve been collecting all year, but it is frightening when I add it up. The good news is that I am pretty much done with the shopping. Want to add a Wallee dvd to the stack and that will do me.</p>
<p>We HAVE that doll and ALL of her accessories…purchased over many many years for DD (with contributions from the grandparents too). You know…the stuff is STILL in her room. I keep asking her if she wants it moved…but she says no.</p>
<p>Ditto the legos in DS’s room. There are several Lego castles assembled (and collecting dust) on the shelves. Does he want them moved…no. Is he ever here…not much!</p>
<p>I have to say…these things were much less expensive when the college kids were little than they are not. And they were worth every penny. </p>
<p>I’m glad that this year the “wish lists” were short and practical. We’ll have some fun with the stockings…and everyone will get new PJs and socks. I just hope the extended family gets the message (we send it out EVERY year with our donation to charity card to them) that we do NOT want any more “stuff”. We’re at the point where we are trying to get RID of stuff (much of which was received as Christmas presents in the past…bahhumbug).</p>
<p>DS will be spending six months in South Africa for study abroad starting January, so his Christmas list is largely made up of things he’ll need for the trip…suitable shoes, decent shirts and pants. (his current wardrobe, t-shirts, cargo shorts and flip-flops, isn’t going to cut it.) DD has made a list of several book titles she’d like to have, a bit of music and a DVD. She has expicitly said she does not want clothes…has enough to last her five lifetimes and no room in her shared apartment to keep what she currently owns. Both kids would prefer cash to any expensive gifts, so if we have any to spare (haha) we’ll probably do that. DH is always the hardest to buy for. We do exchange gifts- I enjoy giving fun things, or necessities with a twist, like a necktie with a “cups of coffee” motif, wrapped inside a travel mug. (He’s a coffee fiend.) After reading this thread, I may look into the Kindle for hiim.</p>
<p>Thumper, you have a good start on stuff for the grandkids. I think that Samantha dolls will be going for a premium when she is discontinued. She has 3 of those dolls already, a “mini me” version, the California girl, and Jesse, that I got for her. Samantha will be the first period doll. She also wants Kit. Those dolls, clothes, accessories are expensive, much more so than the Barbie stuff. The boys stuff like the Brios, blocks and other classics run a lot too. One of my sons collected the Star Wars lego stuff until recently, but he still loves those models. Pricey too. Now that they are older, the stuff that costs are the cell phones, computers, and other electronics, but I usually get those on birthdays for the kids, and they have been getting upgrades with their own money as they are very specific in what they want, and my oldest son works with electronics and can get them at a great discount. No electronics for anyone this year from H , Santa or me.</p>
May be I should ask Santa for fingerless gloves so I can survive this winter in my polar office?</p>