"Let's just give "the chyldren" presents for Christmas", famblees

That's total bullshit...since when are kids the only people who can appreciate family and the appeal of buying/receiving the perfect gift for/from people you love? I used to be something of a scrooge, actually...xmas is never a big deal for my family. We always just had a low-key celebration with a good meal and a few gifts, exchanged on xmas eve (that's just our thing). Now, my husband's family is crazy for xmas...especially his mom. She goes all out, putting aside money from each paycheck (and she's a teacher, and doesn't make that much) and buying gifts all year to give at xmas. She does this huge xmas morning celebration, with brunch and the largest pile of gifts you ever saw. I'm actually looking forward to this now, after having such fun with it last year. Hubby and I live in PA, and our families live in MD, so we've got this down to a science. On xmas eve morning, we exchange gifts. Then we go see his grandmother in MD, visit my family for xmas eve dinner, and then spend the night at his family's house to do the big xmas morning craziness. Xmas is not just "for the kids"!

casseyrod Wrote:
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>
> I think this is an excellent idea. And btw, Pride
> and Prejudice was one of my favorite books.


Me too! I just finished rereading on Sunday.



Rose Red said:

"To Kill a Mockingbird. First rate rendition of what childhood should be."

I love that one, too!

Rose Red Wrote:
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> I know a couple getting married and I think i'm
> going to sponsor a tiger for them. Tiger Creek is
> an awesome sanctuary. If you are living together
> and you already have your stuff, why not?


I would think that a very special gift! I saw a special on Animal Planet about the work they do there. Who can resist cat?

I think, considering the current economic situation, I will NOT buy ANYONE gifts this year. I'm thinking this will be a year where my "presence is the present". I'll make some cookies, help cook the meal,bring some fun games and be my entertaining self. I seriously can not afford to shell out even 15 bucks for each person I'd like to, or traditionally have bought, a gift for. If they can't deal with me showing up without gifts, well then I guess they don't get to see me this year, and then I can save the gas money too. I just don't believe in spending money I do not have. The little kids aren't going to notice anyway, the teenagers don't care, and the adults should know better. Plus, christmas shouldn't be about gifts, it should be about spending time with people you enjoy. I've got more than enough crap anyway, as do most of the people I know.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

bratBgone Wrote:
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>
> >
>
> I would think that a very special gift! I saw a
> special on Animal Planet about the work they do
> there. Who can resist cat?

That show is what inspired me. check out their website.

married with rabbits Wrote:
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>My SIL outright
> told me she wouldn't buy us presents because they
> have kyds. Not that I care, but it takes me off
> the hook to get them anything,

Of course. No need to exchange gifts here!

As if it isn't already 'Christmas' every single freakin day for kiddies any more.

Give me an old fashioned Christmas when Santa traditionally gave rotten brats a bit of behavioural feedback by leaving nothing but a lump of coal or a switch in their stocking.

Give me an old fashioned Christmas when it was all about food, drink, singing and... well, no religion for me please... Yes, food, drink and singing will do.

And give me an old fashioned Christmas when families actually had a great time and didn't want to kill each other by sundown.

- - - - - - - -
"The death of creativity is a pram in the hallway"
- Cyril Connolly

It's so commercialized now, I freaking hate it. It was way more fun when a kid got a few gifts, actually appreciated it, and gave a sincere "thank you". But like someone said, it's X-mas everyday for most kids today, so it's totally lost it's meaning.

The day AFTER x-mas is actually one of my favorite days of the year. The "holidays" then become more about New Year's Eve plans and college bowl games!

Feh Wrote:
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> Plus, christmas
> shouldn't be about gifts, it should be about
> spending time with people you enjoy.

To my thinking, this is EXACTLY what Christmas is all about.

Give me an old fashioned Christmas when Santa traditionally gave rotten brats a bit of behavioral feedback by leaving nothing but a lump of coal or a switch in their stocking. Give me an old fashioned Christmas when it was all about food, drink, singing and... well, no religion for me please... Yes, food, drink and singing will do. And give me an old fashioned Christmas when families actually had a great time and didn't want to kill each other by sundown.

Ahhh, Amethyst, you warm the cockles of my cold, dark heart. Pass me a fifth cup of that 100-proof eggnog please.

Rose Red already beat me to the idea of donating to a charity in the kyds' names and giving them each a card to that effect. Heh heh. But here are more ideas:

1. Give the kyds each a package of socks or underwear. Kyds love to get clothes for Christmas. Not.

2. Give the kyds each a gift card for a token amount to some store that has no toy section, preferably one that isn't near the area where the family lives.

Along these lines, my brother gave his daughter in another state a $20 Wal-Mart gift card for Christmas, and her mother (his ex-girlfriend) called and bitched because the nearest Wal-Mart was 25 miles away. Yes, Wally's World has a toy section, but still... And he wasn't trying to inconvenience the ex deliberately! Now he gets the Wal-Mart cards for the daughter on purpose for that, har har.

3. Give all of the kyds in each family (that is, all the brothers and sisters in a household together) a joint gift that must be shared or used with the others, such as a board game. Thirteen kyds in, say, four households means four gifts total. Some little games are pretty cheap.

4. Give the kyds cans of vegetables to encourage healthier eating. Those are pretty cheap, especially the store brand. Kyds love canned collards. Not.

5. Deliberately give the kyds a cheap toy that would really be meant for a rather younger child or baby. A nine-year-old gets a Barney doll, or some such. "Oh, sorry about that—you know, I really don't keep up with all the new kids' toys these days." Heh heh.

6. When you really get fed up with all the pandering to the sprogs, follow the Saturday Night Live skit that satirized Mommie Dearest. Give all the kyds raw liver in the original store package, wrapped as a gift in the usual way (deliver it just before they would open the gifts, as in a surprise Christmas Eve or Day visit). "But I thought your mom said you kids wanted nothing but raw liver for Christmas." They'll never pester you again for gifts for any occasion.

[On Christmas] "It's so commercialized now, I freaking hate it."

I, too, hate the fact that Christmas is so hyped and commercialized. I don't care much about it anymore. Instead of secrecy and surprising my Family with Christmas Gifts, I'll just ask "What do you want? I'll buy it for you." I just couldn't be bothered with the whole thing, particularly the 'last-minute Christmas rush': decorations blasting at you from every store, brats and people everywhere... I hate it.

k-man Wrote:
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> Rose Red already beat me to the idea of donating
> to a charity in the kyds' names and giving them
> each a card to that effect. Heh heh. But here
> are more ideas:
>
> 1. Give the kyds each a package of socks or
> underwear. Kyds love to get clothes for
> Christmas.

Ghostbuster Underoos.
>
> 2. Give the kyds each a gift card for a token
> amount to some store that has no toy section,
> preferably one that isn't near the area where the
> family lives.

Home depot.
>
> Along these lines, my brother gave his daughter in
> another state a $20 Wal-Mart gift card for
> Christmas, and her mother (his ex-girlfriend)
> called and bitched because the nearest Wal-Mart
> was 25 miles away. Yes, Wally's World has a toy
> section, but still... And he wasn't trying to
> inconvenience the ex deliberately! Now he gets
> the Wal-Mart cards for the daughter on purpose for
> that, har har.

Gift cards for something in another state, or, perhaps, auto parts.

>
> 3. Give all of the kyds in each family (that is,
> all the brothers and sisters in a household
> together) a joint gift that must be shared or used
> with the others, such as a board game. Thirteen
> kyds in, say, four households means four gifts
> total. Some little games are pretty cheap.

13 decks of Playing cards. or, Uno.

>
> 4. Give the kyds cans of vegetables to encourage
> healthier eating. Those are pretty cheap,
> especially the store brand. Kyds love canned
> collards. Not.

Spam.

>
> 5. Deliberately give the kyds a cheap toy that
> would really be meant for a rather younger child
> or baby. A nine-year-old gets a Barney doll, or
> some such. "Oh, sorry about that—you know, I
> really don't keep up with all the new kids' toys
> these days." Heh heh.

salvation army stuffed naimal. smell at no extra charge!

>
> 6. When you really get fed up with all the
> pandering to the sprogs, follow the Saturday Night
> Live skit that satirized Mommie Dearest. Give all
> the kyds raw liver in the original store package,
> wrapped as a gift in the usual way (deliver it
> just before they would open the gifts, as in a
> surprise Christmas Eve or Day visit). "But I
> thought your mom said you kids wanted nothing but
> raw liver for Christmas." They'll never pester
> you again for gifts for any occasion.

Tripe or sweetbreads. Try explaining that one, mom and dad.