<p>For me, a sweater so wildly not in my style I would never ever dream to try it on let alone wear it. Kind of a pea green soup color. Lots and lots and LOTS of sequins. I was polite to DH upon unwrapping it and slid it unobtrusively into a drawer. Then on a whim tried it on and OH MY! This sweater just makes me happy! Will definitely wear to neighbors New Year’s Eve Party . . .</p>
<p>Coffee roasted by my nephew. Tastes great! Amusingly we gave him coffee with cardomom from Jordan which he liked a lot too.</p>
<p>My D bought me some old-lady skin care stuff. I am not offended … she knows I am too cheap to buy for myself, and she bought me something her dermatologist recommended. I am looking forward to a new year transformation. :)</p>
<p>Stockings were always a Big Deal in my family, but since I grew up, moved away, got married, etc., I’ve usually had an empty stocking on Christmas, while the rest of the family enjoys all the little gee gaws and whatnots I’ve placed in theirs. Both my older kids have taken to finding things they think I’ll like for my stocking and I swear I love that stuff as much or more than their “big” gifts. My favorite this year was a Hot Wheels car with the design from the full-sized video game that our family used to own when my kids were little. Who knew it even existed?!</p>
<p>Soft pretzel maker. 
My sister knows me better than I know myself.</p>
<p>Stockings are a big part of Christmas in our home, sseamom! I do the stockings for the kids & my H, and H does mine. The fun little gifts are a blast.</p>
<p>My son made a cell phone holder for me. He scanned two pictures in my family room that I absolutely love and cut out felt shapes to duplicate them and put them on the holder. I was so happy it brought tears to my eyes. Probably paid less than a dollar but he took the time and the effort to do something he knew I would love.</p>
<p>I love our D very much, but it was our Son who gave the stellar gifts this year. First he put us on the list for the president’s Christmas card, which was a lot of fun to get. Then he gave us each a mug. Mine is covered with insults from Shakespeare’s plays, which is very funny. The mug he gave to my H had pictures of Henry VIII and his wives. When you put hot liquid into the mug, the wives disappear. My H thought it was hysterical. I thought it was just wishful thinking !</p>
<p>My oldest is a photographer and this year he updated the photos of all the kids (some with spouses now) that I have hanging in our hallway. Loved this!</p>
<p>In the morning while opening presents, I heard a knock on the door and opened it just in time to see a neighbor dashing off in her car. In a paper bag…HOT freshly baked banana nut muffins. MMMMMMMMMM
Later in the evening…same scenario, different neighbor, and a big bottle of gin. MMMMMMMMMMM</p>
<p>A family friend gave me a really nice turquoise colored dress shirt. Really helpful because I only had one other one for interviews and other formal occasions.</p>
<p>Another family gave me a nice exercise t-shirt, an exercise/sports jacket, and a 3-month Hulu plus subscription gift card.</p>
<p>Really unexpected gifts that turned out to be really cool. The Hulu gift card will especially be helpful in keeping up with TV during the school year.</p>
<p>S gave all his cousins teddy bears from Amazon.com. They were delighted & held the bears all through the Christmas party. It made S so happy that his gift was cherished by his cousins & everyone thought it was so thoughtful that he decided on his own to gift them with it. He was pleased that they were bonuses for all his purchases on amazon.com. ;)</p>
<p>I had two wonderful but unexpected gifts. One of my Ds made each of her sisters, her grandparents and my H and me a beautiful photo book, a picture history of our family. She’d worked on it all year when she had a chance, gathering photos surreptitiously from everyone who might have some and the result is absolutely amazing. She made sure that we all opened them at the same moment on Christmas morning and all of us had tears streaming down our faces as we looked at them. 
</p>
<p>The second was the news of another grandchild arriving in 2013! Happy, happy day for all of us.</p>
<p>I love the Henry VIII mug, don’t do what we did and forget you can’t put it in the dishwasher!</p>
<p>Two really great gifts from my two Ds and son-in-law: they got me extra virgin olive oil and wine from the island in Croatia where my parents were born.</p>
<p>Ours was the news that our first grandchild is on the way!!!</p>
<p>alwaysmom and my-3-sons -congratulations! Those are the best gifts, so I’ve heard. 
I see my parents with their granddaughter and they are SO in love with her, it’s incredible</p>
<p>My middle son’s hobby is painting. He painted a portrait of my late father that made me cry. It is just like Dad, even his hands. It’s a casual pose from the side of him reading the newspaper. It is amazing.</p>
<p>My childhood Barbie doll! My mom has saved it for 45 years or so–and my sister wrapped it up and presented it to me this Christmas! All clothes, doll case intact!</p>
<p>O.K., not my gift, but a dear friend got an awesome gift from her D, who had been abroad last semester. The D had pictures taken of herself throughout Europe at iconic spots (Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Marienplatz, etc.) and gave her parents nine 5x7 prints of her, holding a sign in each city. Each photo had her holding a paper with the one word on it. “Thank you for letting me see the world!” was the message in all the photos. And now they are all in one big frame.</p>
<p>She obviously had been thinking about them all semester! A thoughtful kid!</p>