Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Every year I try to convince my DH that I don't need anything ...I really really don't...And things I do need cannot be bought in stores ( aka SLEEP!) And buying presents for him after 12 years is getting tough too I have asked him to just buy a mattress together ( Sleep Number etc..) Still working on the convincing there...

He thinks I am bring "Scroogy" and I am trying to convince him that its not it at all...His family also does this secret santa type thing, and every year we stress out on what to get the recipient and (not to sound ungrateful) but we end up getting something we completely cannot not use and it ends up in a closet ...I feel bad that the person spent their hard earned $ on something we couldnt use and I'm sure many things we have bought end up in their closets too

I have posed the idea of keeping the secret santa but making it for a gift certificate ( with the rule being that you must put a small something with the GC that stays with the theme) So far, no go....A wish list would never happen ( and I'm not a fan of telling people what I want, I'd rather the element of some suprise I guess)


If it were up to me, it would only be about the kids when it comes to gifts...Maybe a few small somethings
( ornaments , C-Mas pj's etc..) for eachother to open ...
On top of the fact that we have pretty much anything we need, C-Mas gets very expensive !! I absolutely love the holidays, getting together with family/friends, decorating, cooking, the music all of it...its just this whole "gift" thing ...

Anyone else feel like this ?

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Yes! I feel the same way...but we do a Secret Santa for bothe sides of the family and it seems to work pretty well. Our one stipulation is that you MUST email everyone a wish list...I know you don't like it but it works!

Then we do gifts for the grandparents, godparents, etc....which adds up too!!!!!!

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

I am working on this for this year with my family. I would rather just buy for the kids and enjoy the day with the rest of the family. Money is tighter for most of us this year, and the added stress of all the shopping just isn't worth it, IMO.

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

YES! ITA with everything!

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

I agree with you! I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the holidays, but the gift aspect (more so the expectations that go along with it bother me) I have 6 siblings, my husband has 4 add in spouces and extended family and then the 12 grandkids and it gets expensive (and stressful!) fast.

We have decided to make Christmas about the kids, we started last year and although I think some people were disapointed (my SIL called us scrooges) most people understood and enjoyed it. Instead of buying gifts we made something for all of our adult relatives/friends and bought gifts for the kids. This year I am making hot pepper vinegar (with peppers from our garden) I'll package it with home made chocolates and some recipes. I have also been working on a scrapbook of my DSs first year that I will have printed for the grandparents.

DH and I have also decided that this year we will make something for each other. Like you said we don't need anything and I love home made gifts. I love knowing that DH took the time to make it himself.

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Posted by Bops


What a great idea making something for the adults ! I would much prefer something homemade over store bought any day

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Posted by NinaLemon

Posted by Bops


What a great idea making something for the adults ! I would much prefer something homemade over store bought any day

Me too! I love homemade gifts, especially ornaments! Growing up one of my favorite parts of Christmas was decorating the tree because it was so much fun picking up all of the ornaments, remembering who made them and when. I love my parent's tree' it is filled with 7 kids worth of grade school projects as well as 40+ years worth of crafts my Mom did or did with us. I can't wait for my tree to be filled with memories like that

If you need ideas for gifts, some of the things I have made are:
Cookbook of family recipes
candles
soap
quilted table runners
quilted ornaments
mason jar cookie mix
mason mug cocoa mix
sledding kit (a flying saucer, with a thermos, cocoa and a throw blanket) this was a family gift for my siblings with kids

..there are more but I am drawing a blank

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

We do secret santa with our siblings. And we have to give 3 items that we would want within a $100 limit.

For our parents and other members of the family/friends, we give a "family gift". Ryan and I spent a morning making a recipe in a jar (chicken noodle soup). This is our 3rd year doing it. And then we paint ornaments. All "extended" family members that we see for Christmas gets one. It's about 25 people.'

DH and I always pick 1 big item we want and that's what we get "each other" for Christmas. For the same reason. After 9 years gift giving is gosh darn hard.

2 years ago we got a flat screen tv for the wall in the living room. Last year we didn't get anything. Money was a little tight with me not working to be a SAHM.

This year we are getting a new mattress, pillows, and bed set. CANNOT WAIT!

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

I agree with your post, I don't think it's "Scroogy" at all. It's hard to infiltrate the in law traditions so I am not surprised your idea on a GC met with opposition. Would be awful for you to get your recipient a GC anyway and a small item to open?

I am fortunate at this stage, our Holiday is mostly kid shopping. We just buy for the kids in both families but it works out fine bc everyone has kids. DH and I don't even exchange gifts as much as we have the mutual go ahead to splurge on a larger than usual item for ourselves at Xmas and our bdays. The only adult I shop for is my Mom which is totally manageable bc I know her well and what she needs. Even then, it's mostly taking her to a show or dinner and some other smaller items.

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Hmmm, I think I am the opposite here. I love the holidays and I love shopping for other people. Now that I have kids I don't think I shouldn't get or give gifts. Not trying to sound selfish by any means, but it is nice to get something I may not treat myself too. I also really enjoy shopping for the perfect gift for someone and seeing there reaction when they open it. I know it gets expensive and that is a serious drawback, but I am trying to keep it realistic.

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

Re: Does anyone else wish Holiday gifts were reserved for kids only ?

My family has been unsuccessfully attempting to implement something like this for years. My mother keeps saying it is silly to buy for the adults (and I agree).

So, one year we tried the Secret Santa thing. I spent a small fortune on the one gift I had to buy b/c 1) I only had to buy for one person and 2) it was the one thing I knew would be truly appreciated. I was thrilled at the reaction I got when my brother opened his gift. I was not so thrilled when it became apparent by the end of the gift opening that my mother, sister ignored the "rules" and bought gifts for everyone anyway.

Another year we tried the buy yourself something extravagant that you've always wanted, wrap it, stick it under the tree and enjoy. Again, this worked great for me, and this time only one brother, as the other one felt like cr@p from the Secret Santa year.

Yet another time we tried buy the kids (now that there were kids) gifts, but not the adults. Again, this worked for all but my mother and my sister (who said there was NO way people were buying for her kid and she wasn't going to acknowledge the gift, although that year she went small by getting everyone a pair of isotoner slippers).

Mind you this has always been my mother's desire to stop the gift giving, and then SHE always buys gifts anyway and says it's her prerogative.