got your Christmas shopping done?

[Goldiegirl]

I was wondering for those of who celebrate Christmas if you've gotten your shopping done? I can honestly say I only have one gift bought. It's for my mom...a special cell phone called "Jitterbug". It's designed for old(er) people who can't work cell phones or have trouble seeing the numbers and display. It's big, ugly but useful. For everyone else, I won't shop until the 24th and it's going to be gift cards. I hate wrapping gifts. I know gift cards aren't that special or imaginative, but this way everyone can get what they want, and don't have to wrap! YAY! So are you orderly and timely Christmas shoppers or last minute shoppers and wrappers? Oh it would be fun to hear what your worst and/or best Christmas gift was. My worst from my ex-husband was an electric hair shaver, the best was when my husband bought me perfume...the kind I like! He remembered! :109::108::111::154:

 

[Haruspex]

Everything on time? Yeah, well I bought books for my both my mother and father, wonder if they'll like them... if not i'll read 'em lol.
As for them, they sure took their time with ordering my stuff hehe, still not here. Im getting books as well, but since Hungary is super-poor with language related stuff, they don't have anything but a 1000 kanji kanji dictionary, and if you're lucky a book with fixed phrases. So yeah, probably its gonna arrive around new year lol.
My worst present was a game, Tomb Raider hell knows which episode, when I wanted bloody Final Fantasy VIII... ach, opening my veins lol The two titles aren't even similar to each other.
The best was the PS2 I got like around 2001...
But probably the best gift ever will be the Evangelion Platinum Pack + End of Eva/Deth & Rebirth/ Director's Cut (Has to be the one where Shinji's left with Rei's hand, sweet God, whats better than fear and despair for Christmas and New Year? Gonna have loads of both with Eva) I ordered for myself, out of money thanks to it, but hell, its worth it.
I hate wrapping as well, no matter how you do it, it will be in poor taste lol, after all, well how to put it, shiny and too colourful papers all around are simply annoying.
Not to mention the time it takes... annoying.
That Jitteburg thingy sounds interesting, lol, I'll tell my grandfather about it.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

I finished mine last week. I'm most pleased with what I got for my parents - an MP3 CD player. They have a lot of CDs, so they don't want to go completely to MP3, but my dad wants to learn new stuff on his PC. So I figured he can learn how to download music and burn it to CD. Hope they like it

 

[Haruspex]

Completely MP3? We're already in that age? The collectors soul is dying out in people

 

[Sarapva]

I've got most of the things I wanted to get for people, though I don't like to put a lot of emphasis on gifts. One of the neatest things I found this year was a little tree-planting kit at veganessentials.com. I got two cherry trees for my niece and nephew!

The thing I'm behind on is sending Christmas cards - haven't sent one yet! But it seems to me that since the New Year is usually included in Christmas greetings ("Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"), I have at least until the new year!

 

[Goldiegirl]

Ahhhh....Sarapva you just reminded me that I didn't do my Christmas cards yet! Opps, I totally forgot. I guess I won't send them out. I bought really pretty cards with glitter on them and two deer standing in a pine forest. They'll be just as pretty next year and hopefully on time!

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

You haven't done your Christmas cards yet? Oh Lordy! Christmast is in only two days, woman!

I've gotten all of my Christmas stuff done. I wrote my three cards: one for my grandmother (who's over 90, btw!), one for my parents, and one for my godmother.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Show off! I think I'll send them next Christmas. I really wanted to put my new address in them...you know, kill two birds with one stone! Maybe I can find just New Years cards. I do have a good excuse other than just being lazy. I have pneumonia, both lungs and on top of that a sinus infection. So I can fall back on that. *cough* *sniff*:atchoo:

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I didn't procrastinate this year.

I usually shop Xmas eve for my wife. The last minute pressure helps me get her good gifts. This year I finished a week ahead, not sure why. Today I met my sisters family for our Xmas get togeather at the biggest gun store in Maine. Her two younger sons and her husband joined me in checking out the latest in firearms. Man, I can't believe how the prices have gone up on the good guns. Nothing for less then $1000 is worth looking at. The guns I like all run between 3 and 4 thousand dollars now. I settled for a few boxes of ammo. Got some .410 buckshot for my derringer, real hard to find. Gives you 3 .32 caliper buckshot in each shell for an easier hit on target. Got some nice high powered hollow point .380 rounds for the wife's gun. I asked Santa for one of the latest crossbows with the laser sight, but at $1000 , I don't think I'll find one in my stocking this year

Uncle Frank

 

[Chi65]

I usually see my family, who does not live here, after xmas, when the traffic slowed down again. They are used to it.
And my daughter and friends are here or not, and we just have a good time together, if, and if not, later, when they are back.

Cards?
I usually get some first and answer them directly or delayed, its more a confirmation, if everyone is alright or how. The asians are most diligent about this.
A lot is going via internet nowadays anyhow. Not bad, because then I can add my own fotos easily and fiddle around a bit, and it is cheaper, faster, yet better.

Shopping?
Well, I have a kind of depot, where I collect all year long, when I find something interesting or according to s.o.'s wish. Then I forget it again and have fun sorting things out short before.
I may change my mind about the receiver too.

This year I won a few nice things, and kept them for my family/friends. Some provided me with presents long before xmas (it was on ebay and came straight from there to me), thus I will think about them and send my surprises now. No one is unhappy, if something arrives a bit later anyhow.
Thus, no stress, just fun.

Sorting out my fotos reveiled treasures too, and they will be sent in time to other foto-collectors, who supplied me with their own stuff before. I am an exchange-lover. And there are new ways now.

I also have loads of handmade things with rare japanese decorative paper and love to do handworks. So, there always is something, and I often get the question, if I would sell something to others, which I then do.

Thus, before Christmas I am usually busy, and afterwards eventually a bit excausted, which is, why some learned to wait patiently (So can I).
Those are my friends.
I often do my rounds amongst them between xmas and New Year anyhow.

Cheers and a merry whatever you like it to be!

 

[Mycernius]

Done, dusted and wrapped about two weeks ago. I used to shop about two days before christmas, but that was when it was easier just to go into Sainsburys and buy everyone their favourite drink, it was during my lazy period. I do it early now mainly because my fathers and mothers birthdays are both in December. My fathers before christmas and my mothers just after.
As for cards, I am not a card person. I only ever really send one a year and that is to my cousins in Canada. Occassionally I might send more, but I just don't like them, receiving or giving, I much prefer to say Merry Christmas in person rather than on an piece of overpriced tat.

 

[Haruspex]

I much prefer to say Merry Christmas in person rather than on an piece of overpriced tat.

That might be so, but say, what would you send to business partners? You have to admit it, cards are the cheapest, most cliché, most unoriginal, most most most, boring, but most useful things to send to work acquaintances.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Every year I tell myself that I will not procrastinate. I swear I'll be shopping at midnight Christmas eve this year. I too like talking to people over cards, but usually it's just not possible because no one is home or very busy. What I hate are those typed out notes that come with the card describing to the very last detail of their kids achievements, or their new car and fancy vacation to Paris and all the great stuff going on in their lives. Yuck!

So, do you think a $50 dollars gas(petrol) card would be a bad Christmas gift? I have a dear older friend and she has everything, but not a lot of cash. She lives in the country and has to drive a lot and gas is so expensive right now, so I thought that would be good for her, but I am not sure?

 

[Haruspex]

Well dunno, how much is petrol in the US atm? Per liter if possible.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Liters..well I am not a metric girl here, but where we live petrol is about $3.05 a gallon. I think there are about 3.5 or 4 liters to a gallon. Sorry if that is way wrong, metric is foreign to me and math is not my strong point either!

 

[Haruspex]

LOOOL I typed "gallon to liter" in google, and it gave me the key, just try it hehe.
So 1 US gallon = 3.7854118 liter. Lemme count it.
Yeah, its roughly 62 liters.
I'd say a Mercedes should have a tank of 80 liters. So I suppose thats quite a lot.
A 50$ card should be enough for plenty of trips.
Btw, even though I said Mercedes, I don't know a thing about cars. I don't like them either. So don't take the above as boasting or showoff. I can't even drive.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Thanks! Ginny drives a very small economy car. I'll get her the card and then maybe some candy or chocolates. She loves sweets.

 

[Mycernius]

You want expensive petrol, then come to the UK. Currently running over $2.00a litre. So a gallon would be about $7.60

 

[Haruspex]

Hmm its 287,30ft a liter here, which would be 1.670$.
Taking the GDP into consideration its more expensive here
But when you look at US GDP its almost as if it was free in the US... although there are really endless roads there, I must admit that.

 

[XCrisX]

I just bought my parent's gifts xD! I'm going to buy everything else today..I would have bought all the gifts before but I had to spend the money I had back then on some medicine for my allergy and other things..I already know what to get for everybody but after I finish today's shopping I'm going to be totally broke! For some friends I just made cards tough...they said they wanted cute cards with a drawing on them xD

 

[Sarapva]

Thanks! Ginny drives a very small economy car. I'll get her the card and then maybe some candy or chocolates. She loves sweets.

I think that would be a wonderful gift! If she has a small car, $50 might be two or three tankfuls. Gift cards seem to be popular these days, and I think they're a really good idea - you can get a gift card for someone from a store or place that you know they go to, and they can get what they want there. I've even gotten a grocery store gift card!

Goldiegirl - I hope you start to feel better soon!! Try not to get too stressed about doing things for the holidays - that's one thing I don't like about Christmas; it can be too stressful with all the things to get finished by a certain time.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Petrol is more expensive in a lot of countries. But where we live there is no public transportation. You have to have a car. I was thinking maybe instead of sweets to buy her an oil change certificate as well.

xCrisx, I would love a handmade gift. I think those are the best. One friend gave me a huge tray of home made cookies and candies that she made. It was priceless to me. I am sure they'll love them!

Thanks Sarapva, I think all the stress is what helped me get so sick. I really shouldn't even consider going out with pneumonia....the windchill is -15 here. My wonderful husband would go shopping without me, but he's not the best shopper...we tend to get products that look what we usually get, but on closer inspections they are the fat free, salt free, or the super hot or really mild products...not what we usually get. His last time shopping alone he wanted V8 (tomato juice) he bought two; one was super spicy hot and it almost killed him and the other was salt and sugar free, it tasted awful! He tries, bless him for that!

 

[-Rudel-]

あしたぜ！ ぐろーぶKnife For 明美さん

 

[Haruspex]

one was super spicy hot and it almost killed him

Salty drinks must be spicy as hell Thats why the best one of them is the might, the famous, the immortal Virgin Mary (triple the tabasco and you're ready to depart to another world, at least while it chokes you).

 

[XCrisX]

Goldiegirl: I know!! I love handmade gifts as well and I treasure all the handmade gifts I've been given!! you need to have a lot of free time though..I can't put my whole dedication on handmade gifts when I know I have something to get done for school of things like that.
And I agree with Sarapva, don't get too stressed about your Christmas shopping and take things calmly. I know how important it is to get the shopping done on time but your health is a lot more important and I'm sure your friends and family will apreciate it more than any gift.