Holiday Gift Ideas 2013

[Bann]

I've see it as a 2 pronged problem - Sometimes you have someone that you want to get (or feel obligated to get) something for, but do not have a good idea. Sometimes your family demands a list of items from you, and you have no idea what to tell them. If you are so inclined, go ahead and list an item(s), a short description, a apprx. price, and why you want it/why you got it for someone. For example:

~$50 bucks - Dozen Titlist Pro V1 golf balls. This is my goto gift for my uncles, whom are all avid golfers. While I do not believe that any of my uncle's are good enough golfers for the ball they play to make a difference, I know that they think they are. Its nice to see them getting used the round or 2 I manage to play with them for the year.

~$5-10 bucks - Colored Golf Tees. My old goto gift for uncles, when I was younger. Every golfer knows that you have to use the right color tee for the shot your are trying to pull off. Red for power, Blue for draw, Green for straight, Black for wildcard.

~$20 bucks - Fuzzy Bear paw slippers. I received these as a gift a few years ago and where them every cold day. Its a simple thing that I get a lot of use out of, and it was a cool gift to open/take a picture of.

[Signe]

It's a music year for the most part from me.  I got my nephew an ocarina, his wife is getting castanets, their little girl some boomsticks and maracas for the little boy.  They can form a family band!  I'm sure mommy and daddy will frown at me.  Some cozy music note socks and gorgeous arm warmers for my friend who is a cellist.  Other nephew gets new sax mouthpiece, bass strings, an ocarina also, and some glass picks.  My sister gets a guitar string bracelet.  Some bass strings and a build your own ukelele kit for my brother in law.  I'm buying earplugs for myself.

[Yegolev]

Earrings and pajamas.  Not sure what to get the woman who should own stock in Paypal.  I let her pick out the pajamas last night.  Other wifey ideas are welcome.

The boy doesn't play with anything we buy him.  Lego?  Science kit?  Robots?  Nope; paper towel rolls and Minecraft.  I think I'll get him a Pathfinder set, though, since he's interested in pen-and-paper games at the moment; meaning, yesterday afternoon.

I bought some computer parts so I could build a ESX machine for work-ish purposes, but the wife hijacked them and will give them to me at the solstice.  /deadinside  Along with both new games that are worth a shit this season, plus a couple that aren't.  Maybe I don't complain enough.

[JWIV]

The wife is fairly fond of trying out new cosmetics and the like, so I splurged a bit and went with a Glossybox subscription for her.  The kids are getting some various things such as hexbugs and the like, but usually we're crap at choosing presents for them and the grandparents always win.

[RhyssaFireheart]

I had the holiday shopping down for the family back in late September.  There's something to be said for giving themed ornaments each year.  Niece gets snowmen (and this is her last year now that she's 18).   Nephew 1 was finished two years ago (he's 20 now) and he used to get angels.  Nephew 2 gets nutcrackers.  Nephew 3 gets Christmas trees and nephew 4 gets vehicles.  I give them an ornament a year until the year they turn 18 and then stop.  I usually give my brothers an ornament as well (older bro = Santas, middle bro = bells, youngest bro = globes) but it can also depend on if I feel as if I like them this year.  I think this year, I don't like them.  I'm giving my mom an ugly frog this year (long story, it's a joke gift) and the in-laws are getting a visit from us this year.  Although, the in-laws visit is kind of "required" and I'm glad we're going.

[Signe]

I'm all done but then I don't do much.  Mostly just one little something each.  I used to give nothing to everyone but the past couple of years I've had the urge to give things to my nephews.  Kids always get a little something.  Mostly I get silly or adorable stuff that's not expensive because I'm always mostly broke.  Getting noisy stuff always makes me happy.  I don't know if it's because the babies get so happy or because the parents get so annoyed.  Either way, it's festive!  One year I stuffed my nephew's stocking with those scratchy lottery tickets and atheist propaganda.  It was awesome.  I usually stick everything in little xmas stockings so I don't have to wrap them.  :)  It all works.

[Salamok]

After just winding up the last season of Parks and Rec I was thinking of getting the wife some Lagavulin 16.

[Signe]

Is it your favourite or her favourite? 

[Paelos]

Here's a good idea: http://www.amazon.com/Weber-6434-Professional-Grade-Vegetable-Basket/dp/B000WEIJUW/ref=zg_mg_13299251_9

It's a grilling basket for veggies that you can use for outdoor grilling. It's only $20 and would be good for any dude with a grill.

[Signe]

And if you run out of time, there's always this option:

Thirty minute delivery from Amazon. 

Five pounds is a lot if it drops out of the sky and smushes your head... and don't tell me it won't happen.

[Yegolev]

What will happen is that someone will shoot down your package and get your shit.

[Stormwaltz]

There's an Onion story in this. It probably involves North Korea.

[Miasma]

Amazon will have full fledged predator drones flying at a higher elevation to protect their shipment drones, so long as you are a prime customer.

[Salamok]

Is it your favourite or her favourite? 

I wont say I am not interested in trying it as it is supposed to be a pretty good Scotch but she likes Scotch and I prefer Bourbon.

[Polysorbate80]

It's very peaty, along the lines of Laphroaig.

If one likes that sort of thing, then that's good (Lagavulin is one of my two favorites.  The other is Balvenie, which tastes nothing whatsoever like it).

If not, it's not something to spring on someone unsuspecting...

[Salamok]

We have had a few peaty Scotches before (including Laphroaig) and Balvenie Doublewood is her favorite Scotch.  I am pretty sure she has expressed an interest in developing a further taste for the peaty stuff but our days of snapping up a variety of $50 a bottle boozes to sample ended about the time we had a kid.

[K9]

My sister has requested 3D Dinosaur Cookie Cutters, so she'll be getting those. Probably all the Oatmeal books too, and some other small fun gifts.

Mother just wants some enlargements of a couple of nice photos I've taken, framed, for her to hang on the wall.

Not sure about other people yet.

Some suggestions for the rest of y'all:

Cookery books: Pitt Cue Co. The Cookbook, Hawksmoor at Home, Polpo: A Venetian Cookbok (of sorts). All three put out by three of my favourite restaurants in London, all three are great. Even if you're not a mad cook, they look beautiful and have wonderful photography.

Gin: Monkey 47 (Impressively good German gin), Few (tried this recently, loved it. First time I've had a blindingly good American gin), Sipsmith's (it's a local gin for me, and I love it).

I'd also be pretty happy if anyone got me this:



Evolving Darwin Playset

[KallDrexx]

That 3d dinosaur cookie set is bad ass.

[Viin]

If anyone has suggestions for someone who's just getting started into sewing, I'd love some ideas!

[Venkman]

Want to get my Dad a good heated blanket. The ones I've found are either 3 hour throw blankets or low-rated overnight ones (ratings based on how you can feel the wires or they don't last long). Any thoughts?

No idea for the wife. We usually handle our kids and relatives first and then surprise each other at the last minute even though we both swore we'd just put it all into buying for the kids. 15 years of doing that. It's tradition.

[Paelos]

If anyone has suggestions for someone who's just getting started into sewing, I'd love some ideas!

http://www.amazon.com/Gingher-8-Inch-Knife-Dressmakers-Shears/dp/B000UU6SR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1386043438&sr=1-1&keywords=sewing+gifts

Fabric shears.

[Ironwood]

If anyone has suggestions for someone who's just getting started into sewing, I'd love some ideas!

My sister owns a sewing shop over here and makes up wee starter kits that go like hot cakes.  She runs classes for both adults and kids and these things fly off the shelf ?  Want me to get the contents off her or something ?

It's probably a more useful suggestion than the Janome 3000.

[Bunk]

If anyone has suggestions for someone who's just getting started into sewing, I'd love some ideas!

http://www.amazon.com/Gingher-8-Inch-Knife-Dressmakers-Shears/dp/B000UU6SR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1386043438&sr=1-1&keywords=sewing+gifts

Fabric shears.

Seconded. I grew up with a mom who sewed. One was not allowed to touch the shears. Woe to anyone (including dad) who dared to cut paper with the shears.

In a couple years, she'll be asking for this:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=serger&rh=n%3A2617941011%2Ck%3Aserger

[Paelos]

The theme for my extended family this year is BBQ gifts. The limit is $25, and it could be related to spices, sauces, etc. Anybody have favorites there?

[Yegolev]

Wife hates everything.  I'm terrible at gifts.  I don't know what she likes but I do know what she hates.  I'm swirling down a drain of darkness.  Snowy, pepperminty darkness.  Somewhere, a crow caws "hooo hoo hooo".

[Paelos]

Time to get a new wife for Christmas.

[schild]

Wife hates everything.  I'm terrible at gifts.  I don't know what she likes but I do know what she hates.  I'm swirling down a drain of darkness.  Snowy, pepperminty darkness.  Somewhere, a crow caws "hooo hoo hooo".

Omaha Steak subscription. Sharper Image gift certificate. "A Theory of Fun" by Raph Koster.

[Polysorbate80]

Omaha steak?  No.

Burgers' Smokehouse bacon steak, YES.

[Pezzle]

The theme for my extended family this year is BBQ gifts. The limit is $25, and it could be related to spices, sauces, etc. Anybody have favorites there?

Penzeys always seem well received.  

If you do not want to pick out assortments yourself you can go for a gift box.

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/c-Gift_Boxes.html?id=XRv9PBb5



For friends again this year I am hosting a party at a local restaurant.  It always goes over well.  Giving a full set of Cards Against Humanity to another group of friends.  We are horrible people indeed.    

[shiznitz]

These are fun if you have to give to nieces and nephews:

http://www.amazon.com/Bongo-4639-Balance-Board/dp/B000TTHVYA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386088283&sr=8-1&keywords=bongo+board

There are cheaper versions.

Also, if you have some coin, the Razor electric vehicles are awesome.

www.razor.com

For adult stuff, I don;t have any good ideas not already mentioned.

[Signe]

Wife hates everything.  I'm terrible at gifts.  I don't know what she likes but I do know what she hates.  I'm swirling down a drain of darkness.  Snowy, pepperminty darkness.  Somewhere, a crow caws "hooo hoo hooo".

Give her peppermint spoons for her hot cocoa and money.

And are you sure that wasn't the white winged dove?

[Viin]

My sister owns a sewing shop over here and makes up wee starter kits that go like hot cakes.  She runs classes for both adults and kids and these things fly off the shelf ?  Want me to get the contents off her or something ?

That would be great!

In a couple years, she'll be asking for this:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=serger&rh=n%3A2617941011%2Ck%3Aserger

I have no idea what a Serger does, but they look awesome!

[Chimpy]

Sergers stitch the edges of woven cloth so if does not unravel. They also cut the fabric that is beyond the stitch. If you look at the front pockets on most jeans, the stitches around the edges are serged.

[rattran]

I gave up on useful or relevant presents years ago, and just impulse shop. Seems to work well, things like 'Platypus in a can' (stuffed animal in a soup tin) are always a hit.

If I'm really stuck, I just send them stuff from Despair.com Everyone needs a pessimist's glass to go with that scotch.

[sickrubik]

Thankfully, most of the people on my shopping lists are beer geeks, so worse case scenario, grab a Mikkeller and go.