Gifts are not my love language, so my style has been to continue to reduce the number of gifts I have to buy at Christmas.
Also, my SIL mentioned gifting her old flute to my daughter but hasn't said she is actually going to bring it. I should just assume we aren't getting it at this point, right? It's been 2 months and she isn't visiting from out of state any time soon.
My neighbor offered her flute (if her daughter switches instruments), so both offers seem conditional to me. I should probably not say anything and continue to rent the one we have currently. But at this point, I think the neighbors offer is more likely but probably not until February and dependent if her daughter wants to switch, and what if she wants to switch back and I've already paid to refurbish it?
I love to give gifts, but for anyone that I actually know (beyond like kids’ teachers and coaches) I rarely give gift cards just to give a gift. I like to pick up things I see throughout the year/things I’d like to receive as gifts for adults. Bonus points if it’s something someone will actually use vs something that just sits there. In the past I’ve given DH a flight lesson, an electric bike - stuff like that - and he once gave me a puppy and arranged the timing months in advance and gave him to me in a Christmas stocking. It makes me happy to receive a gift that has some thought behind it.
I make fun of DH for the boring stuff he likes to watch on TV in the evenings, but I just ordered a shirt, book, and mug sold by this guy he likes to watch who reviews coffee and coffee makers. I like that it will show I pay attention to what he likes even when he thinks I’m ignoring him
The only person I have a lot of trouble buying for in my immediate family is our toddler - since he’s our 4th kid and 3rd boy. He really needs nothing and he has so many toys already. But Santa needs to bring him some stuff anyway!
I want to be a good gift giver, but am not. I don't like searching for the perfect gift, and really just want people to tell me what they want. I really like to get most of my shopping done before Thanksgiving.
Dh is horrible to buy presents for ever. Picky and usually super specific on what he wants. I think I have it this year. He's been wanting some nice boots, but too cheap and hates spending money on things like that. So I got him a $250 gift card, specifically just for boots.
I am a terrible gift giver. I am extremely disorganized (ADHD) so birthday gifts are almost always late. I want to be good at it, but I'm truly awful. Everyone gets gift cards.
I also do not care to receive gifts. I would much prefer to spend time with the people that would buy me a gift. DH goes nuts because he asks what I want for my birthday, and the answer is always a nice dinner out the weekend before my birthday. He forgets every year, and then we launch into Birthday Month in my family, where every other weekend is taken up with other people's birthdays.
I am surpremely uncomfortable receiving gifts except from my very closest family. I really hate it. But I love giving gifts and making things for people.
DD unfortunately has really internalized the idea that making gifts is really special, which means this year she wants to make a gift for every one of her middle school teachers for Christmas. Which means really I’m making gifts for her teachers.
I love giving and shopping for my BFF. Most of the time what I mail to her is the only thing she has to open for her b-day and Christmas so no matter what I send it is really appreciated. Her H is similar to mine and just forgets to shop. I kept hoping as her kids got older, they would get on dad to buy mom a cake for her b-day or say dad we need to shop for mom. Her b-day is a week before Christmas, so I get that it is hard.
I don't mind shopping but giving gifts isn't my love language. I hate shopping or giving gifts to DH. If he doesn't get the biggest most expensive gift, then he is a PITA. For him clothing, gift cards, or useful items are not a gift. Last year he got a TV for the garage so he could watch movies while he woodworked. This was a huge gift in my book, and he was meh about it. I've given up and he got a few necessary items this year under the tree. I also really dislike wrapping but also despise gift bags, so I wrap. I've found wrapping when I'm alone with a chick flick on TV makes it a little better.
waverly, if the flute shows up be grateful but I wouldn't count on it.
186momx, yeah that's what I was thinking. I was offered 2 flutes under conditional circumstances neither circumstance has been met yet and maybe won't ever. So I guess I keep renting it.
rere I'm with you on the gift giving front. I really want to be much better than I am. I do most of my shopping online. I try to find things locally, to support my community too, but sometimes that's a challenge. My DDs teachers are getting gift cards to local restaurants and locally owned movie theater. I think my deficit is timing. I want to shop year round, but find it's all done in a marathon session sometime the last two weeks of November.
I like giving gifts more than receiving them. I'm a minimalist and "stuff" stresses me out. This makes me hard to shop for. One of my cousins actually creates Amazon wish lists adds to them year round. I'm going to start doing this. I think it will make things easier for my mom who feels stingy if she doesn't give 10+ gifts to each person in the family....
I love giving gifts! I really get a lot of joy out of picking out the perfect thing for someone. I will randomly send little presents to people in my life throughout the year as a "pick me up" for them, not just on holidays. I'll pick things up throughout the year and tuck them away for Christmas too. I really appreciate that my family and beau's family both do Secret Santa for the adults, so it's not like I have to buy for a ton of people. When you just have one person in the family to focus on, it makes it really fun to put together something you know they'll really like. It's less of a chore to check off all the people on the list.
I also love receiving thoughtful gifts, but it's a rare occurrence. When my brother or his wife draws me in the Secret Santa, I always know it'll be a perfectly curated box of things that are meaningful to me. My SIL and I just get each other. Beau is not a gift giver at all. But he's very much an "acts of service" person, which I also appreciate.