Thoughtful and thoughtless Christmas presents.

[Raven]

Does anyone here remember the old TV program where people were given 5 minutes in a store or supermarket and they raced through throwing anything and everything into their carts... I get presents like that. Or I get the free gift with a $25 purchase from the cosmetic counter gift...I have three dozen of those toilet bags, all given to me by the same person. Then, since I have animals, I get cat mugs and dog mugs. This year I got a fireplace polker with a growling bear on the top. My best gifts always seem to come from my son...he puts alot of thought into his gifts (probably because he has limited funds so he wants to spend them well). This year he gave be a pair of binoculars and a wonderful first aid kit from EMS. Both gifts will be used and appreciated.

Anyone else care to list their most thoughtful and most thoughtless gifts?

[Bertha Venation]

1. hmmm...

Most thoughtless: chocolates. (But I eat 'em anyway.)

Also, my Grandmother used to show up with her arms full of free drugstore calendars and other similar freebies. Those were her gifts. But Grandma gets a pass.

Most thoughtful: any history book I've ever received, and the gold box-chain bracelet my sisters gave me for my 40th birthday.

[wysimdnwyg]

2. Both from the same people...

From my parents:

Thoughtless - Sweater and tie - I never wear sweaters, haven't for many years. I have no idea where they got the idea I would like that. I haven't worn a tie to work in six years. Of course, I still have all of the ties I wore previously, so I'm OK. Most still look current, so there's nothing to worry about with that, anyway.

Thoughtful - Dockers - When I last wore Dockers regularly (August of 2002), the ones I had fit perfectly. When I wore a pair last month, I realized just how much weight I've gained. OUCH! The new pair is 2 inches larger in the waist. I just hope these fit. :-)

[Cleita]

3. We gave up buying stuff for our kids.

No matter what we gave them in the past, they already had two or three already. So now I just buy gift certificates for them. I wrap them in little nothing gifts or gag gifts that cost less than $10. So they get a nicely wrapped package that they can open. A gift they can use (this year tulip bulbs for my stepdaughter) or throw away and the gift certificate that they can buy what they really want. It has worked pretty well for several years now.

They really outdid themselves this year for us though. They bought us a DVD video player. I never even thought we would ever own one. We are awed and grateful.

[GOPisEvil]

5. My parents have given up, too.

They either buy me specifically what I want, or just give me cash. This year was cash. :-)

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. I can go one better on this....

I purchase what my mother gives me. At least I get exactly what I want.

[trof]

4. Dumbest.

A golf glove from my son-in-law a few years ago.
I do not play golf.
I have never played golf.
I do not plan to play golf.
"In case you want to take it up."
:wtf:
He and I are very close, I am somewhat of a surrogate father to him.
Just one of those goofy things, I guess?

[Logansquare]

15. That happened to a friend of mine, too

His sister gave him his "first" golf club for his 30th birthday. He does not play golf, and has no intention of ever playing golf. Isn't it weird when people get so engrossed in their hobbies that they assume that everyone else will feel the same?

[WatchWhatISay]

6. My mother gave me

the book, "A Purpose Driven Life", even though she knows I am not a Christian. She is everyone's definintion of a fundie, the kind that lived a past life more deviant than I could imagine doing myself. In previous years she has given us Bibles, religious jewelry, nativity sets and other items that she knows we have no use for.

I am considering giving her Liberal/Democratic party oriented presents this coming year. She claims to be independent, but all her insticts are Repub.

When I was a kid, she used to drop us off at Sunday school in order to have some "child-free" time with her live in boyfriend. (one of the two that molested me).

Sorry to sound so bitter.

My most thoughtful gifts have also always come from my son. In recent years they have become quite expensive, since he now has a very good job with Microsoft. But they were always well thought out, and symbolic of his love and concern for me.

[Raven]

7. Wow. I'd give her coal next year!

:-)

[WatchWhatISay]

8. Raven, one of the few good things about 2003,

a gift I gave myself, I guess, was meeting your son in Austin. He really has a great heart and reminds my of my own son a lot. And he cares a great deal about you, as I know my son does about me.

I was sorry to see that he has decided the other day, not to post here anymore. But I have often wondered how he took some of the crap he gets here as long as he did.

[Raven]

9. Thanks!

I hope you were able to spend the holiday with your son as I did. I was able to talk to him at length about the DU flap. When someone goes after your job, it doesn't give you much choice. I was shocked to realize that DU could be such a dangerous place...I had considered it a haven.

[corporatewhore]

10. mine

thougtless potholder salt and pepper shakers and those frilly hand towells
Toughtfull books (of all kinds alice wlaker edward said books always givv me alot in tems of knowledge)

[prole_for_peace]

12. every year my mom gives me house shoes.

EVERY YEAR!!! i have about 10 pairs. i think she just goes in the store grabs them because she knows i wear them. but she never gets styles or colors i like.

also, on year i was planning on getting a new set of bathroom rugs (yea!!) and she got me ONE OF THEM. not the set. ONE!!!! about $10 bucks.

the most thoughtful: my boyfriend once got me a coat that i has seen months before and admired. he actually listens to me sometimes.

:wow:

[devilgrrl]

13. I like to think that I give thoughful presents...

For example this year I asked everyone what they needed or enjoyed.

My younger brother insisted that I not get them anything but I felt I should renew their subscription to Utne magazine, so I did. Utne is a great magazine. :-)

My niece attends a performing arts school and enjoys singing so I got her CD's from Sarah Brightman and Sarah McLachlan to hopefully expose her to other talents to inspire to. She liked the discs and played them throughout yesterday. :-)

Her little sister (niece II) got hair clips and such because she needed them. She especially enjoyed the Bunny berettes! :-)

My Step-father and brother enjoy reading. I was originally going to buy my dad Kevin Phillip's "Wealth and Democracy" and for my right wing tool of a brother, Paul Krugman's "The Great Unravelling" but I didn't want to start an arguement Christmas morning, so I got them gift certificates to Barnes & Noble. Now they can buy anything they want.

BTW, my idiot brother got my dad AnnTHRAX Coulter's "Treason"... :eyes:

My mom and sister like tea, so I got these nice gift sets from Special Teas (http://www.specialteas.com). Their teas are OUTSTANDING!!! I can't recommend them any higher. Mom and sis are pleased. :-)

My nephew got copies of the Kids World Almanac and Guinness Book of World Records. Which inspired him to wear those stick on bows on his forehead all day creating a new record! :crazy:

Over Thanksgiving I turned my Aunt into Daniel Lanois, so I got her his latest CD 'Shine'.

So there's what I gave everyone and I think they all liked their gifts. Unfortunately, with the exception of a lovely necklace my mom got me in Italy, my gifts were completely ridiculous as discussed here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=577071

[SharonAnn]

14. Best one - donation to Heifer International in my/our name

This years it was for bees, the queen, some others (drones and workers?) and the housing (kep?). My step-daughter has given us this for the last few years - last year it was geese - and it's fun to know what ani mal it is and to picture how it would become part of a family's way of life.

Heifer international supplies various animals to low income people around the world and they have to pass on some of the offspring to others. The animals allow them to have self-sustaining source of income - cattle, goats, llamas, geese, bees, etc. The animals provide something they can use/eat and sell (milk, eggs, honey). They can grow a herd/gaggle/whatever and increase their income.

It's something real and something that can help people eat and become self-supporting. It's truly "a leg up".

It's absolutely the best gift anyone could give me. We have so much, though we're nowhere near wealthy, and would rather share with others. We think it's great and it was her own idea.