This year Christmas and Hanukkah happen to fall around the same time, so I am lumping them together.
My future SIL got me a Google Home for xmas because he knows I love gadgets. The technology isn’t perfect yet, but it is very good at processing nature language. You can ask, “Ok Google, what’s tomorrow’s weather?” Then follow up with, “Ok Google, what about Fri?” (without saying “weather” again) You can tell it to set a timer for 10 min, but it doesn’t do reminder yet (calendar).
My kids set up lights with Google Home. To be funny, the kids got it to respond: “Ok Master Oldfort, turning off the lights.”
I bought my 19 year old son a Google Home. He loves it. My husband was letting me know that it was time to start the eggs and he said " OK, you can start the eggs now" and the Google Home answered " I don’t believe that I can help with that."
A coffee mug with the bill of rights on. They disappear when you put a hot drink in it. New item this year, I am pretty sure… And donations in my name to a few worthwhile causes that I suggested to my kids.
Mondo bags of coal from Santa Claws and I’m happy!!
Never understood why coal was so dreaded by children as a Christmas gift. It’s a great commodity in its own right to be sold for cash. And if I can blackmail-er persuade Godzilla and Nessie to sit on that coal pile and having marketing/PR/hot air specialists give speeches underneath them…all that coal will turn into diamonds and make me a zillionaire!! Yess!
Seriously, broke down and bought myself a used 21 speed bike with pump, helmet, lock & chain, and front/rear lights, a history book, and a couple of diecast/plastic airplane models to indulge my inner child.
I got a winning scratch off lottery ticket in my stocking $100! Don’t normally play so this was a big surprise! DD knitted me a cap and gave me a coupon for cleaning out/organizing the pantry :x
The Atlas Obscura book. I can’t wait to browse it. #1Ds BF started in with it and we had to put it away because he and I would be distracted by it all day.
A new phone with enough memory to allow me to download some recent music.
I got the watch that I liked and tried on at local Costco. It was the only one I liked and adjusted to fit my small wrist. D was with me when I tried it on and the kids hate that I’m so tough to shop for.
D loves the Tadashi Bloomingdale’s coat I bought her and says it’s nice and WARM (it has a double layer of fabric in the front and back plus slash pockets). It reminds both of us of coats from Hollywood’s golden era, which we both thought had a lot of flattering styles and silloettes.
D gave S an interesting one-minute timer that makes interesting designs with magnets and metal filings. My sister gave S a virtual reality headset for his iPhone.
H us still happy with his car that we have swapped with the nicer body car.
@garland, I also got “Born to Run” (my son gave it to me) Looking forward to reading it! My wife gave me a nice package of boxer-briefs, except she got XL instead of L !
Our 18-year-old daughter gave DH and me a painting she did of people canoeing on a lake near our cabin. She’s a photography major, and she had to take an art class this semester. She was very nervous about it, because she doesn’t consider herself an artist. But the painting is beautiful! It’s a priceless gift.
Well, thanks to CC and it’s ‘Instapot’ thread that I happened to tell D1 about (although I only occasionally scanned it) when she was thinking about getting a pressure cooker, I got an Instapot along with two cookbooks and the glass cover. Guess I need to bump that thread up for anyone else who got one and had not paid much attention to it. Looking forward to it, though. There are some great healthy recipes in these cookbooks, too.
We said no gifts, but we still got a bottle of fancy wine that kiddo imported into the US - by herself! I was relieved that she did not import any cats this time…
DH and I decided our only gift to one another was a vacation to Hawaii. Rather than be alone while kids were each with their " other side" this year, we ran away together. It has been great! Home tomorrow.
My kids found some fun cake decorating things I did not know about, so they had a big impact though not expensive. I got mini bundt pans and some “Russian icing tips” which appear to make elaborate flowers. I am excited to try them out! Despite H and I deciding on no gifts in leiu of a trip to Vegas in February, he surprised me with tickets to see Alton Brown from Food Network.
Vintage issues of Mad magazine. Always loved it, and it’s funny seeing how it’s evolved through the years. Also entertaining reading their satires on events such as Watergate and the gas crisis…
