Christmas sucks BIG-Time!!

Hebba! Nice to see ya. sozlet says hi to hebblet.

OK, what do y'all think about this one:

I have limited contact with my siblings-in-law -- my husband's siblings. I don't know their tastes very well, tend to ask my MIL (their mother) for ideas. She suggested that this year, none of us give each other anything, just cards. Meanwhile, she will be giving E.G. and I cash. sozlet gets a present.

My immediate reaction is relief, and gratitude (need cash!), but I have somewhat mixed feelings. What do you think?

I say check with the siblings-in-law first and make sure they all agree not to exchange gifts. This was the MIL's idea, not theirs, and they may still intend to buy gifts anyway. Better find out.

Oh, of course. Already have. Sorry I wasn't clear about that. They like the idea.

My mixed feelings have more to do with... it doesn't have to be a big gift, but I like small gifts given with thoughtfulness, both in terms of giving and receiving. The point here is to not worry about the thoughtfulness... not worry about it at all. I dunno.

How about having the sozlet make them something?

Me, too. There's not much you can do about this, right? Are there nieces & nephews besides the Sozlet?

One year, my siblings tried the draw-one-name system on the instigation of our hated stepmother. Somehow we all agreed that it didn't work for us and we only did it once. We couldn't stick by the rules, didn't necessarily want to give a "big" present to our chosen "name" and we didn't like the set amount, which for some of us, was more than we'd pay for a pile of gifts. At least by giving a small present, there's a point of contact, which is good when you live far from each other. That was a funny family get-together when we decided to toss out the draw-a-name system!

Yeah, no. They don't want anything. I guess that's it -- I have put a lot of time and effort into things in previous years, have gotten maybe gift certificates, and now they're saying "Oh, good, let's not do anything!"

I HAD made a pottery clock for my sister in law (have a lot more contact with her than two brothers-in-law), she likes dragonflies, she just moved out of her mom's house into a new place, I asked her about her color scheme, made a dragonfly clock just for her, it broke while firing. The pieces are gorgeous. So turns out to be good that I don't have to scramble at the last minute, since that was my main planned gift, but...

It's not a big deal. I guess I'm interested in where people think the line should be drawn... We pretty much agree that Christmas has become huge and unwieldy for a lot of people, but NO presents? Small thoughtful presents? Large expensive presents? Etc.

Yes, point of contact, that's a big part of it. Money, though I am in NO position to sniff at it, or by definition nothing, are so impersonal.

Ah well.

Yep. I like money... who doesn't?... but it is so impersonal. My nephews, however, seem to appreciate it. If I give them money though, it is always a crisp bill, not a check.

My father-in-law used to give us a check each. I didn't like it -- where's the thoughtfulness in putting Xmas gift 2000 on the memo line? I'd make a big deal out of not putting it into the bank account. Instead, I'd go shopping and buy something. Then I'd write him a letter and tell him what he bought me, forcing him to get into the spirit of it. I think he thought I was foolishly spending his money, like I should have put it in the family kitty.

Too bad about the dragonfly clock. It sounds like it would have been an awesome present.

When I was a kid, my favourite Christmas gift (to receive) was cash. Except for the year I got the typewriter and stapler. Cash, cheque, money order, store card with money on it - thanks, I prefer that to something that needs to be returned.

(sozlet just got her first glimpse of christmas deerhuaha! very excited. )

A stapler? Neato!

My older sister & I both received matching typewriters and used them all through high school. They had radios inside, little AM radios under the keyboard. Isn't that a strange combination? We thought so! Mine was still working when I gave it away, but I'd chipped the edge and Mr.P had his Grandpa's so we didn't need two. I let it go.

I bought my nephew in GA a gift card - $25. (He's in his twenties, but what are an aunt & uncle for, after all?) I wish mine had been so generous. I wrapped it on top of a Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar. What do you think? I struggled with the amount.

I have five more nephews to buy for, but three are still young enough that I could stave them off with toys. If I gave them money, it would only be $10 each, so I guess I have strange money rules.
Ahhhh, Christmas!

Hebba, althought I didn't get to see much of you before, it is good to have you back--even if for a little while.

Soz, loved the mental image of the Sozlet seeing Chrstmas reindeer for the first time. Post pictures if you can of the Sozlet in holiday mode.

The idea of getting presents only for the children is good if money is really tight. What might be added would be home cooked things for the adults like cookies, cakes, spiced nuts, etc--things that would be useful for entertaining during the holidays.

Like candy and good-luck charms, eh? Good on yer, as they says.



(soz -- couldnae the sozlet give them little goofy things under the guise of "she's learning to give as well as receive"?)






meanwhile, christmas still sucks, you thread pirates.

Christmas may suck, but Armenian Christmas, celebrated January 6, Epiphany, I think, rocks. The joy of the holiday plus post-regular Christmas discounts all over town.

Did I mention I have the charm dangling from my rear-view mirror?

I haven't locked my keys in the car since.

Yeah, I like that idea, patiodog. Kind of doing that. I got some little brightly-colored frames from Ikea, gave the sozlet some watercolors and watercolor paper, planned on making ornaments (little splooshes of color from her, framed, purty ribbon.) But she really wanted to put ALL the colors on each piece of paper, which resulted in a lovely shade of diarrhea-brown.

We'll try again later.

Which is just further evidence that a bright dog is about at the level of a 2-year-old child...

soooo, we'll just acknowledge up front that i had an interesting aunt. her presentation of money was always very fanciful. she'd start off by ironing however many $1 bills i was to end up with (ranged from $10 - $25 over the years) - and then she'd create. One year she pleated the bills, tied ribbons around them, and tucked them into toe dividers. Gave them with some nail polish remover and some other little nail thingie. Another year, she folded them into sort of origami shapes and hung them from an evergreen branch. Some years she was so good at presentation that i really had to LOOK to see where the money was. It's one way to get over the dislike of giving cash. maybe.

Very creative!

See, there's THOUGHT there. There's creativity. There are also little gifties in addition. That's cool.

One of the sozlet's more colorful efforts -- she proclaimed that it was a rainbow:



But show me a dog who can draw a groovy little Elvis snowman:

By the way, I'd happily give cash if I HAD any*. I don't.

Which is why a gift of same is definitely appreciated.

(Especially to kids ~10 to ~25 -- old enough to have preferences so a stuffed animal is less likely to delight, but young enough that the money means something.)