Well, I guess it's not so much a poll as it is a regular old question. What I want to know from you, internets, is this: how do you and your spouse/partner handle Christmas gifts for each other (or the holiday you celebrate if it's not Christmas)?
Do you just go shopping for each other and it's a surprise?
Do you give each other a list?
Do you get one large-ish gift together (like a new TV, or a new piece of furniture, or that air hockey table you've both always wanted, or something like that)?
Do you skip the gifts altogether and just buy for the kids?
Help me on this, internet friends. How do you do Christmas?
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It varies - usually around the beginning of December I start nagging John about whether or not he's thought of anything for me - if he has then I (try to!) back off and wait until Christmas Day to see what it is, while having a major crisis about what to get for him. I wheedle clues out of him on the pretext that I want some idea how much to spend. Then I browse the web aimlessly for a while and find nothing appropriate (although I usually find a gazillion things _I_ would like, but that's not the point). Then I get him something off his Amazon wishlist.
This year we're both waiting until after Christmas then hitting the sales to get ourselves new winter coats.
The tricky one is getting John organised to organise the children to get something for me - not that I _need_ anything, but they would be upset if they didn't have anything to give me.
How about you?
We give each other a list of wants (and helps with referencing where to find) and then let the spouse decide which is best to find / give.... so there is some sort of element in a surprise. We don't forgo for each other and just give to the kids, because we think it's important for the children to know how special the husband/wife relationship is in giving, too. If I remember to do it - I like to have a little list tucked away in my purse throughout the year, so when I hear someone (or spouse) say... "I wish I had ___ or I wish I could find ___" then I can jot that down for future reference.
Great brainstorm of a question - I'm going to check back to see what others say.
sidenote: I posted photos of SweetPea modeling, but if you want to talk about one big giant ball of talent - uhmmm, I'm sure it's safe to tell you to go look in the mirror. I LOVE looking at your creations - LOVE IT! You are incredibly gifted, my friend.
Hmmmm, used to be, I worked retail, and I would pick up several small gifts for hubby as I saw them. Kinda hard when you work grocery :( THIS year all hubby wants is a PSP, and has made it CLEAR that he won't be happy if any other gift gets in the way of him getting one. SO, given that I can't afford such a thing,(I work 16 hours a week) I promised him that after Christmas, we will take the gift card to best buy(guarenteed what my mom will give),and the cash (from his mom.. don't you hate when you can predict this?), add them up, and then I will give him the rest as a present. As for me, he usually gets me something I ask for (like an apliance) then buys me something personal too.
We put most of our effort into stuff for the kids, but we do get each other usually one smallish gift. No lists for ideas, though that would probably make life easier. Usually I find something for him first, and then tell him about what our spending limit will be based on that. This year it was $50; last year it was $10. Small stuff, like I said. We don't really spend much more than that on the kids, either, though. We let the grandparents round out the Christmas gifts while limiting our own gift giving to simple, hopefully meaningful, things.
My husband's birthday is right after Christmas, though, so I have to come up with an additional gift for him, and that can be a challenge. One, I can usually manager. Two is just hard.
I don't have him buy me anything because a year ago I told him I wanted a housecleaner and a personal trainer and no gifts every again..... seriously!
EVER
We surprise each other! It's so much fun that way! :) Plus, we've been lucky enough not to need major appliances/tv/furniture recently. Knock wood.
We surprise each other! It's so much fun that way! :) Plus, we've been lucky enough not to need major appliances/tv/furniture recently. Knock wood.
We surprise each other. Sometimes we talk about doing one big gift to ourselves but we end up just putting stuff under the tree instead. The kids are always the high-scorers though.
Since our anniversary is on Dec. 17 we usually do a combined anniversary/Christmas present that we spontaneously pick out together. One year we bought a dog, one year we bought a stereo, this year, well, we bought a house:)
However, even though we say that's our present we still surprise eachother with a stocking stuffer. Nothing huge. Like a dvd or a new coffee mug - always chocolate. My husband is a chocolate lover. It's still fun to open something on Chrismtmas:)
We have gotten in the habit of doing something together - the past few years have been Disneyland annual passes. Then I just can't let it go at that, so I usually come up with something else that he isn't expecting. Not necessarily expensive, but unexpected! He usually puts a crispy $$ bill in a Christmas card for me! I think we've gotten a bit lazy - but there comes a point where if you want something, you buy it and if you don't have it, its because you don't want it!!
Oh yeah - it's also just more fun to give to our kids and grandkids!!
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