S/O Are you happy with the presents you bought

[matildasun]

The past few Christmases I have felt like I was buying things just to buy things. This year I am really excited about the things we have purchased and am so excited to have people open them on Christmas morning.

We draw names for the adults in my family.
We got my mother and brother. My brother is notoriously hard to shop for, but I thought of a great present right away, which never happens.

My husband had my mom, and picked out beautiful locally made items she will love.
 I love giving gifts.

[Deleted]

I'm excited about the gifts I got for the kids. DD1 is going to lose her mind on Christmas morning. I can't wait to watch.

Everyone else, meh. It's all off a list. Gifts are not my love language at all; the exception is my kids but only because they are so easy to please.

[carolinagirl831]

I'm super excited! I love gift giving

[krystee]

I am not very excited this year. Everyone wanted gift cards. Blah. Hope next year with the kiddo changes that!

[hermione]

I love giving gifts and I put a lot of effort into choosing things I think people will like. So yes, I am happy with what we are giving this year.

[waterchurch]

For the most part, yes. I actually had good ideas for the usually tough people on my list. That hardly ever happens.

[niq]

I know i could have done better, but I think I did pretty well. Call it a B+ year in terms of quality.

And it was less stressful and I was more on time than usual!

[cherry1111]

I would be happy to not exchange gifts with any adults and just buy for the kids. We are all at a point in our lives that we just buy the smaller things we want, and I wouldnt expect anyone to buy us the bigger wants. So no, I'm not really excited about any of them.

[Deleted]

Overall I think I did pretty well choosing gifts this year. I gave DH one of his gifts early (hearth gloves) and he's used them several times already. Some gifts won't arrive in time, which sucks. Shutterfly calendars, the lamp for my dad, DH's main gift of fermenting equipment.

I've done better in past years though. About 4 years ago, I stumbled across a FANTASTIC vintage/antique shop while traveling, and every gift from there was a hit. A vintage clutch purse for my sister in a fabulous watermelon color, a travel easel for my mom, my dad collects barware and I found an antique tray with cocktail recipes painted on it. It's now the pride of his barware display. That was a good year!

[Deleted]

If I could call it quits with everyone but the kids, I'd be so much happier.

I'm reasonably happy with what I've got for people this year, but DH always overspends on me and seems to not want to buy me the stuff I did put on my list. I wish he'd either dial it back or be less "creative".

I'm excited to blow DS's mind. He's at the perfect age. Excited but easy to impress.

[deo]

I am excited for the presents I bought the kids. I think they are really going to love all the toys we picked.

For all the adults, I got ok gifts but nothing that I'm really excited to give. Everything I got for DH are kind of 'typical' gifts. Clothes/slippers/outdoor gear.

[kdubs923]

Dec 21, 2014 14:26:24 GMT -5 cherry1111 said:

I would be happy to not exchange gifts with any adults and just buy for the kids. We are all at a point in our lives that we just buy the smaller things we want, and I wouldnt expect anyone to buy us the bigger wants. So no, I'm not really excited about any of them.

I'm here. I'm excited about the presents I got the kids in our lives. Also, DH's stocking is pretty amazing.

All the adults? Meh. I wish we would draw names. Instead we buy for DH's brothers, SsIL and parents. We're all adults who buy what we need all year through, so all of the presents are given just because 'OMG, we can't NOT give anything!'

If we pulled names and were only buying for one person, we could raise the amount we spend and actually buy (and ask for) a decent present. Instead since we're buying for a bunch of people, we keep it to $30-40ish dollars each. So SIL buys me a sweater and I buy her a sweater. I rather pick out my own damn sweater.

[aspentosh]

Yes. Not to toot my own horn, but I usually do a pretty good job with presents. I start making lists and bookmarking things early for what H or DD or someone might want. That really helps take the pressure off.

I am not the type to spend money just to have presents to open, so I make sure they are useful (but not boring!) or fun, and not going to be a waste of money.

[Brie]

I'm really excited about stockings. I love stockings and I have the perfect weird assortment of stuff to give H.

Also, I think C is going to lose his mind over the train table. Poor kid has been turning anything that will line up into a train lately.

[Deleted]

We dont exchange amongst the adults in my family or H's but we did get my mom a Kindle this year. Its an extra thank you for all the extra help like folding my laundry, vacuuming, dishes, watching the kids for date days, etc. She has been wanting one for a while so I'm excited to give it to her.

I'm really excited for J to see that santa got him the Thomas and Elmo he wanted as well as the Abby Cadabby he said the girls wanted lol. Santa is also getting h and I the big bird and snuffy that J says we want santa to bring us lol. I think it will make santa that much more real for him.

[Deleted]

Yes. I love all things present all around.
The shipping. The giving. the receiving. It's all so fun.

[cincodemayo]

I do love picking out gifts most years but this year got out from under me. DS, DH, my parents are getting good gifts. My sisters and ILs I didn't do a great job of.

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2014 16:44:05 GMT -5 @hannymaren said:

Dec 21, 2014 13:59:46 GMT -5 page said:

I'm excited about the gifts I got for the kids. DD1 is going to lose her mind on Christmas morning. I can't wait to watch.

Everyone else, meh. It's all off a list. Gifts are not my love language at all; the exception is my kids but only because they are so easy to please.

What did you buy her? 

I am excited about her face on Xmas morning. I don't think she got it before this year. 
And my nieces should be pleased too. But our gift exchange is on January 1st 

A bike (from my parents)
A Belle dress-up (from ILs)
Aurora dress-up (from us)
Rapunzel wig (us)
Frozen Lego castle (us thanks to Kirkette who picked it up for us from Target)
Sofia the First jacket (us)
Bunny slippers (us)
Sofia the First dress-up (us)
Where the Sidewalk Ends (my parents)
A bunch of princess crap in her stocking

Mostly I can't wait to see how her eyes light up when she sees the bike.

[glitzy07]

I'm really excited about a few of them, but meh about others. We were on a tighter budget this year that previous years, so it was tougher to find $30 gifts I loved versus $50+ that we've done in the past.

[bunch]

For my kids, oh yes. I am beside myself excited about seeing dd1 find the new bed in her room. For the rest I feel fine about them, but none were particularly awesome. I'm not generally a gifter.

[arebee]

Sort of. We really only bought for DD this year. I wanted to get her one big gift from us and one big gift from santa, about $50 each, but H didn't want to. We ended up getting her one big gift and a bunch of books. I know she isn't going to get it this year but I feel like we should have got her more than books.

[biogirl21]

Sort of? J doesn't really know what's going on yet but I hope he'll like his toys. I got a robe for my dad because he's been asking for one and a pretty bell for my mom that she pointed out yesterday. I got practical stuff for H, a computer keyboard and underwear, lol. I also got him the 9th season of Supernatural. I've gotten him that every year we've been together.

[changedname]

I wasn't as into buying gifts this year as I normally am. That said, I'm excited to see dh open the 12 dates of Christmas.

[Deleted]

I think I did decently. 3 out of 4 nieces/nephew are easy to shop for. One I totally guessed. Her birthday is in Jan too. She's turning 7, so I think I'm going to move to a Christmas gift and $20 for birthdays since her mom never gives me a list and she really just has a ton of things. That's old enough where kids like getting their own money, right?

I did okay for adults. Our parents are always hard to buy for.

ETA: I had a total of 6 family birthdays between mid Dec and Jan to buy for too. Sigh.

[mcfelix]

Somewhat. I am very happy with the photo books I made for our families. I'm happy with what we are getting DS and also that I feel like we didn't go crazy on stuff for him since he's only 17 months.

But I feel like a shitty wife bc I've gotten two books for DH and that's it. He's so hard to buy for. I told him let's not exchange gifts. This thread prompted me to ask him again and he says he is good with it. We just moved and we don't need to buy anything but I still feel shitty about it.

[bluelikejazz]

I did better last year for my niece and nephew (we made them a play kitchen from a tv cabinet, vs puzzles and books this year), but I'm way excited about my parents gift (DH made them an awesome wine rack).

Otherwise it's buying gifts for the sake of it this year.