<p>poetsheart, I took a book binding class with Julie Leonard one year at Penland, and it was wonderful. If you choose to stay in a dorm room (with 4 or more people), it’s cheaper than a private room. And if you’re willing to work a couple of hours in the kitchen each day, it’s very affordable. (Sorry for the derail.)</p>
<p>I get on my “kicks” this year i want my Waterford crystal. My birthday is right after Christmas. Just want something sparkly.</p>
<p>A nice pair of diamond studs…or a well thought out trip to just about anywhere that I did’nt plan or a couple weekend get-a-ways. </p>
<p>I would love if he suprised me with organizing all of the pictures and putting them on disc.</p>
<p>These are Christmas wishes…they each require time, love, and patience and considering it is the week before Christmas I will probably get a sweater.</p>
<p>We have moratorium’ed getting presents for each other, and (very judiciously) buy what we want/need when we want to–money is low, so emphasis is on judicious. I’ve sent contributions to the places I think can do good (as Mini suggested), and all I really want is time to enjoy the life I have (when H urged me to downsize work to have more time, he gave me the nicest present.)</p>
<p>I would LOVE for all of our old vhs family videos to be copied to digital. Either buy me the equipment to do it, or find someone to do it all.</p>
<p>Oldfort! My husband asked for (and will be getting) that very same CD collection – I agree, the infomercial is great!</p>
<p>Usually i am WAY late to technology,but those of you who still want CDs make me look like a cutting edge techie. ;)</p>
<p>I stream music thru a Sonus music system,subsribe to Sirius,get Pandora free, as well as 100’s of radio stations…</p>
<p>PG - I always knew you had good taste (in finding a husband).</p>
<p>qdogpa - I can’t get those things where I live, plus they put all of my favorite songs in one place. H is a big fan of CDs. D2 is a fan of old records.</p>
<p>Vinyl is whole different experience…the sound quality of my 50’s/60’s era Sinatra albums sound superior to those same albums on CDs… Your D2 is very smart.</p>
<p>I’m getting a lap top, mine died a couple of years ago and I miss it. I don’t really need a lap top, but it will be nice to have especially on vacations. I’m always happy to get more earrings and necklaces - arty ones not expensive ones. I like fun socks in my stockings. I’d be happy to get interesting jams. There’s usually a book or two I want. I’d love to get a weekend painting class, but there has to be follow through. I got a spa visit last year, but I never actually took advantage of it. One year dh got dance lessons for the two of us - which was fun. Actually I told him this year I’d like coupons for one movie night a month. Maybe he’ll remember that!</p>
<p>One of our young ladies requested a set of nice cookware and the other asked for perfume. Guess which one is married? 
I already have some All Clad pots stashed away from Macy’s sale and Costco ($50 for a small sauce pan - that was a great buy!) and will have to track down the elusive L’Imperatrice Eau de Toilette today.</p>
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<p>Ok, I love this one. Isn’t that they way it usually goes? :D</p>
<p>On a related but slightly different note: what does everyone think of the “Christmas list” concept? </p>
<p>I’ve always been opposed to it. My husband’s family was big on “Christmas lists” filled with practical things like socks and scarves. Then they had this thing where if you got the person a scarf, it couldn’t be TOO GOOD a scarf in case someone else got them one that wasn’t as nice. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>My feeling is that a Christmas present should ideally be something you think the person would love and would not buy for themselves. Of course, this is based on knowing the person well and actually taking time to THINK about them.</p>
<p>I just have to share this. You know how the order of the threads on the main forum page change depending on how recently they have been updated? When I logged on just now, I saw this thread " What do the ladies want" … Immediately below it said " Xanax". : ). Made me laugh"</p>
<p>Consolation, I totally agree with you on gift giving. I’m heading out to a furniture store to buy DH a nice chair. He is taking a class and will have to do a lot of reading, but he is not into furniture shopping, so this will be an unexpected present and the one that he will love and use daily.</p>
<p>I asked for a new tennis racquet, I demoed several with dear H and let him know which one I liked. It is something I need but normally I would not buy such a nice one.
I also asked for an IPad. My D told me that I should not be asking for such an expensive gift since I already asked for the racquet.
I also saw a nice necklace yesterday at an art fair. I took the artist card and had her write down the item I wanted. I am going to give it to H as an idea.
H on the other hand is impossible to buy for.</p>
<p>We don’t do the religion and get things we need as we go so it is hard to think of gifts. My wish list includes gift ideas for H and S- so hard to come up with ideas- I know want I want and they could give me… Some day/year son will comply with my request for some sessions of lessons for Dummies on my computer when he visits. Then I’ll do the hyperlinks, smilies… I’m too lazy to figure it out and practice by myself.</p>
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<p>Consolation - in the mid-eighties, my family of origin had blow-out extravaganza Christmases, driven by my father, who had quite literally gone from rags to riches and was extremely generous. We would have literally several dozen presents for each of the four of us - and I don’t mean little things like stocking stuffers, I mean “nice” presents. It was truly over the top, and ultimately my mother, sister and I rebelled. We don’t need much of anything; we really don’t. And we are all declutterer-types. So, rather than have one another search for things, we’d rather indicate what we want and if it’s practical, so be it. I have a Keurig machine and I want a several months supply of the Keurig K-cups things so I don’t have to run out and buy them. My mother wants an iPad and we’ll all go in on that. We can always use gift certificates to the salons / spas we like. That type of thing. We would SO much rather buy things that the other person is going to want / use, than “surprise” one another with sweaters or tchotchkes that none of us needs. And we really tend to like consumable gifts or experiences (e.g., tickets to a concert).</p>
<p>Having said that, have you all heard of the love languages theory? The theory is that there are 5 languages of love - physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time and gifts – and everyone has their own preferred “language.” My business partner, for example, LOVES just what you’re describing - to spend hours finding just that special something for someone that will delight / surprise them, and she gets her feelings inadvertently hurt when someone doesn’t reciprocate in kind, because that’s her “love language.” Maybe that is your family’s love language.</p>
<p>^ that’s interesting. PG. I have never heard that before but it makes a lot of sense. H’s family is very into giving “gifts” and come to think of it, so is S. The hard part is that I am not and it is not that I am cheap or lazy , rather that I don’t enjoy shopping. And like you I am not into “things”. I would rather go to dinner together, travel, go to a spa, etc than have more “stuff”.</p>
<p>I’m NOT into the shopping thing myself, but know some who are. I like to come across great deals that I know the recipient will appreciate, but have no problem giving money or gift cards as well. I honestly don’t want or need more “stuff” and hate having to lug it home with me especially on a trip, even when it’s given to me from a very well-meaning friend or relative. At this point in our lives, H & I have most of what we want & when we see things we really want, we buy it or wait for it to go on sale & then buy it. Consumable items we enjoy are fine, but that’s about it.</p>