OT: Gifts worth giving; gifts worth having...

[Mrs Bee]

I am behind with this... We fill stockings with candy and chocolates, and sometimes a tiny gift, so those are easy. I think it will be a first-ever nail polish for my girl (don't hate me for making her wait ;-) ), not sure about the boys. There will be Tolkien galore for all of them to share - the big kids are great fans, and since my daughter started reading The Hobbit to her little brother, he's caught the bug too, which I did not expect! During a recent long car ride he announced he was drawing the Lonely Mountain... I have a calligraphy set for my daughter, and, since a Christmas ornament is also one of our traditions, I could add to her collection of Delft ornaments by Kurt Adler. I found awesome stained glass ornaments with a Nativity last year at HomeGoods, maybe I'll be as lucky this year.
My oldest had a recent survival campout with his Trail Life troop, so we had to buy some camping equipment that could have been a great gift idea - he loves his fire starter! So I'm not sure yet what we could give him now... And my youngest is at a tricky age, for now I have a box of dvds from the Disney series Zorro I had to buy from Amazon Italy to get a reasonable price - we have a multiregion player so I can buy movies when we're in Italy.
Every year I'd love to be done with buying gifts by the time Advent begins, but every year I am not even close to being done!

[bean]

I'm buying for grandbabies now... Just dd(16) left at home:

Our three married adult kiddos and their spouses: Each family is getting a packable jump-start unit for cars, a ball cap headlight (they all have dogs they walk) and a few random fun things DH found second hand.

Dd(16) is getting quick drying towels and a shower bag for potential summer study abroad and college, and a pair of lace-up boots. Nice to have on campus. Probably a few random books.

DGD (3) Butcher paper, construction paper, post-it notes

DGS (2) Chubby little trucks (Rainbow Resource) and a snow suit

DGD (new!) A "baby paper" pig (Rainbow Resource)

ETA- also a "frog shaped" matching game from Rainbow to keep on the game shelf at our house. That's a favorite grandkid spot, and there's not much there for them right now.

[Enigma]

All: ornament (family tradition), individual boxes for their ornament collections, books, 1 movie, water bottles, NERF guns and darts, Hershey's kisses and 1 full size candy bar

S (23), G (17), D (16): ties and new suits for the 2 who wear them, white shirts for all

G & D: line drawing books from Rainbow Resource

J (25) & S: money/gift card

girl (13): new dress and HEELS (whaat?! when did she get that big? SNIFF!), chef's apron, sketchbook, new paintbrushes, Spa Date with me (mani/pedi day)

M (5): magnifying glass, "popper" toy, rock digging kit, Kinetic sand and bin, stickers, bubble machine/bubbles, digital clock (so he will hopefully stop getting up at 4:30 a.m.!), Costco sized box of fruit snacks (not a commonly bought item here) and MP Kinder curriculum!

Mr. Enigma: PC game, tie, movie he wants, and whatever the kids decide Daddy just HAS to have!

Me: I asked for wooden spoons, Scots tea towels, an air fryer/instant pot, new chef's apron, a coil binder, and a MacBook Air with extra memory in pink cause it's so reasonably gonna happen!

We are giving each other bathroom hardware. For some reason this house didn't have any in the master and we just kinda forgot about it.

As the kids have gotten older, gift lists have gotten shorter.

[DiannaKennedy]

It's time to bump up everyone's favorite post! 🎉🎄

Share your favorite ideas here or follow for inspiration.

Items on the list here ...

Gymnastics mat
Art supplies .... Sketchbooks, markers, canvases, etc
Stand for heavy bag

[pickandgrin]

Yep! That was me. ?
Easton Press or Folio Society. Both are spectacular. Buy them new (for a pretty new penny) or used (with one you’ve had in your pocket awhile).

Didn't know that about Folio Society! Now I have another key word to use in searches. Thank you!

[Anita]

Katie avoid ducks. They are a stinky, wet, sloppy mess. All. the. time. They have to clear their nostrils after eating, so it's like a kid blowing bubbles into their drink with food in their mouth. Ugh. Just sayin....chickens are way better. I love chickens. Chickens lay way more eggs, so they earn their keep better.

Well, there’s some information I didn’t know I needed... thanks! ?

[Anita]

Who is it with the husband with the Easton Press collection--is that you, Anita ? I remember talking about this long ago. I've started looking for used Easton copies to give as graduation gifts. The last one I bought shipped from Alaska. ?

Yep! That was me. ?
Easton Press or Folio Society. Both are spectacular. Buy them new (for a pretty new penny) or used (with one you’ve had in your pocket awhile).

[pickandgrin]

Who is it with the husband with the Easton Press collection--is that you, Anita ? I remember talking about this long ago. I've started looking for used Easton copies to give as graduation gifts. The last one I bought shipped from Alaska. ?

[pickandgrin]

This is why I don't worry when I inevitably and unintentionally acquire second copies - with three kids, I should work on acquiring even more!

Exactly! And this is why I always try to buy each kid their own books for Literature class when I can afford to do so. This is a great way to slowly build a little take-with-you library. My 11th grader has a really beautiful collection (dreamy sigh!) and I credit that completely to his MP literature reading since 3rd grade. Thank you, MP!

[Mrs Bee]

I was talking with a friend of high school seniors yesterday and she mentioned that her kids have started asking for a copy of XYZ books from the family library because they've realized they are going to need their OWN copy soon when they move out. So, library building is always a win.

This is why I don't worry when I inevitably and unintentionally acquire second copies - with three kids, I should work on acquiring even more!

[pickandgrin]

I always love rereading this thread! Plus, I'll take reviews from you folks over 5 stars on Amazon any day!

A few things my crew have asked for this year:

DS, 16: electric guitar pedals/cords/etc., gaiter, thin wallet (driving!), paracord...
DD, 14: mostly wants cold hard cash ?♀️ saving up for club volleyball next year. Fitness Blender subscription (online coached workouts)
DD, 12: Bike basket, little earrings, Journey Girls (faux American Girl doll) and clothes, mini sewing machine, air-dry clay, book shelf you mount on the bed frame (BedShelfie)
DS, 9: pinblocks (again), new game for our very, very old Wii. he may get a low-end telescope and a Dude Perfect T-shirt.

They are all getting used books from our local reseller, McKay's Used. I comb through the "Literature" section looking for high quality bindings and go from there. I'm always on the hunt for leather bound (esp. Easton Press) and other nice bindings.

I was talking with a friend of high school seniors yesterday and she mentioned that her kids have started asking for a copy of XYZ books from the family library because they've realized they are going to need their OWN copy soon when they move out. So, library building is always a win.

Me: I've asked for pie baking things, some prints from a local artist (https://littlethingsstudio.com/) of hymns that are special to me...really I want more books, but need to slow that train down. Ha!
Hubs: DO NOT TELL. https://establishedtitles.com/produc...ple-title-pack Got this for a song on Black Friday. Still very low prices tonight for Cyber Monday compared to normal. DO NOT TELL. This is a secret. Maybe I'll be updating my signature line after Christmas? ? Enigma Do you know about this?

[bean]

Do you have a picture? I need to visualize it, so I can tell my husband.

This one is attached to a table leg at work (university library).

When all the kids were home I had a combination bike lock that held all the tape (masking/ duct/ packing). I attached it through two hardware eyes so the tape dispensed like an under cupboard paper towel dispenser.

My hubby buys and sells antiques so he buys things at auctions. There’s always $5 piles of office supplies. I think I have 20 pairs if scissors and a lifetime supply of highlighters, lol.

[Mrs Bee]

My girl is a tea enthusiast so for her birthday a few days ago she got a Japanese cast iron tea pot and another tea cup for her growing collection - I bought everything at HomeGoods/TJ Maxx, but those tea pots are found online, too, and they would be a wonderful Christmas gift. For Christmas I've bought her a pretty Vera Bradley bag at Marshalls, and a Christmas-themed baking set at HomeGoods (bowl, spatula, whisk, and a couple of cookie cutters). I bought a set of FAO Schwartz bumper cars for my youngest, and a mug with cars on it. For my oldest so far I've only found a mug with the periodic table on it - he's a bit obsessed with it, and he'll love it. He's a bike nut right now, and just got a road bike for his birthday, so we may add something bike-related for Christmas too: he's working on his Trail Life biking badge and he'll have to have a 50-mile ride, so he's going to need to be equipped for it. I'll take a look at the Spikeball game - I like to have something collective every year - thank you Melisa Burke for the idea! Everyone will have stockings filled with sweets and a tiny gift if I can find it. Those three stores (HomeGoods, Marshalls, and TJ) are life-savers for me: I'm always finding great gifts.

[Melisa Burke]

I expect you need to be dropping a link to that horse stationary. Horse young lady here, too.

Rachel wears Muck Boots (the brand) to the barn for working. Waterproof, good arch support, etc. They usually have some good BF sales. They have a winter version too -- but R just layers up her socks and she's fine. She prefers the tall boots, to not get stuck in mud, etc.

And .... what's a spikeball?

https://www.leanintree.com/Browse.aspx?token=||horse%20|0|48|1|0|1&search=horse

Dianna,

Above is a link to Leanin Tree. They have a ton of horse paper products. I also bought Caitlin the 2020 wall calendar that they sell and some horsey Christmas cards to send to her friends.

Here is also a link for spikeball. It is a VERY high energy game that I think my teens are going to love playing with their friends.

https://www.amazon.com/Spikeball-Ball-Kit-Playing-Drawstring/dp/B002V7A7MQ/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=spikeball&qid=1606234345&sr=8-5

Thanks for the info about Muck Boots. Caitlin prefers the workb oots that are more like her riding boots. She doesn't have to spend anytime in the muck. She is shoveling indoor stalls and has a gravel path to the manure pile. She also spends quite a bit of time lunching horses so she likes the Durangos for that. I love Muck Boots because we have plenty of "muck" on our farm.

[DiannaKennedy]

DD:
Durango lady rebel boots for my horse girl. She works at a stable and needs new work boots.

Horse stationary and notepads from Leaning Tree

Spurs

ski goggles/gator

DS:
A new Cobi

spikeball

ski goggles/gator

bluetooth speaker

I expect you need to be dropping a link to that horse stationary. Horse young lady here, too.

Rachel wears Muck Boots (the brand) to the barn for working. Waterproof, good arch support, etc. They usually have some good BF sales. They have a winter version too -- but R just layers up her socks and she's fine. She prefers the tall boots, to not get stuck in mud, etc.

And .... what's a spikeball?