Holiday Gift Ideas 2013

[Yegolev]

Time to get a new wife for Christmas.

[RhyssaFireheart]

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

Just make sure she sticks to sewing and doesn't get into quilting, because if she does, then in a few years, she'll be asking for one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Quilter-Tin-Lizzie-Stitch-Regulator/dp/B003QBHC2Y/ref=sr_1_6?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1386107311&sr=1-6&keywords=long+arm+quilting+machine

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Gifts for my family have been delivered as of the Thanksgiving visit, so I'm all good for them.  The husband is pissing me off though because we don't usually get each other anything and he's going "Oh, I guess you haven't gotten any of the hints I've dropped.  I'll have to make them more obvious then." and I'm saying just fucking tell me what you want.  If he doesn't, then nothing for him.  Screw it.  After 20+ years, I'm not going to start playing guessing games now for Christmas.

[Khaldun]

There's always this:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN85S9-85-Inch-Ultra-120Hz/product-reviews/B00CMEN95U


Protip hint: check the price, read the reviews.

[Salamok]

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?

After going through 4 or 5 different grill baskets  (ranging in price from $5-$40) I have found that the ceramic coated ones seem to be the best (scratch proof nonstick that can handle high heat), they go for $10-$15.  I also love my ridiculously oversize spatula as it allows me to completely do away with the fish basket (pain to clean) and flip an entire side of salmon w/o breaking it.

[Furiously]

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".

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cubic+zirconium+earings  Just don't tell her they are fakes!

[Viin]

I'm thinking of doing this for my team (oo and maybe my brothers) for Christmas: http://www.somethingstore.com/

[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".

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cubic+zirconium+earings  Just don't tell her they are fakes!

Oh, she doesn't like diamonds.  Or stud earrings.  I did get her some dangly red ones, antiqueish looking which she does like.

I get the idea you believe I'm incorrect.

Next week I'm going to see if I can get some bath bombs from Lush at the mall.  The fucking mall.

[Signe]

A couple of years ago I bought my sister one of the bigger Lush xmas boxes.  She LOVED it, especially the bath bombs.  I also got my nephew the Glögg shower gel which he really likes and this year I found it again in the retro section for more money this year.  I did get it and it's since been sold out.  My brother in law got one of those wrapped Mr. Claus or whatever it was but I think my sister used it all up.  This year I also bought my nephew's wife the Joy to the World gift set because her name is Joy.  It was just delivered and it smells lovely.  I want to open it right now!  Oh well.  I love Lush.  It's just very pricey.  They make awesome stocking stuffers.  You should stuff a stocking with Lush and give it to her!  And money.

(Better yet, MAKE her a stocking!  We love that sort of shit.)

[Miasma]

Maybe individual items from Lush smell good but when they are all put together at once, like in their store, it creates a vile smelling nightmare in the zone surrounding its mall location.  I either try to avoid the whole area or rush past it.  One of the malls I go to has a Lush right next to a Kernals popcorn store, the clash of odours probably qualifies as a public hazard.

[Signe]

I've never been inside a store.  I always buy them online.  The box I have right now smells lovely.

[Numtini]

Love love Lush products, but the store is over the top and smells, more or less, like bubblegum.

[Chimpy]

.... One of the malls I go to ...

I think this is the root of your problem.

[Rasix]

I really wish my family would stop trying to get my son creative gifts he won't give a shit about.  

"Would he like a Darth Vader chair?"  
"He's 4.  He doesn't care about furniture, and he never sits down."

It's as bad my wife putting a Tie Fighter pillow on his list.  It's a decorative pillow.  He won't even sleep on the damn thing.

He loves toy cars.  Just get him toy cars.  HOW HARD IS THIS?

The amount of griping over what we're spending is reaching epic proportions of absurdity.  Yes, gripe over $20 for my nephews when we just went out for nearly every meal over the weekend. 

[Salamok]

The amount of griping over what we're spending is reaching epic proportions of absurdity.  Yes, gripe over $20 for my nephews when we just went out for nearly every meal over the weekend. 

I've been using gas tank economics lately, basically I end up justifying any purchase under $60 by just saying to myself it costs less than a tank of gas.  After Christmas I think I'll have a long Jack Handyesque talk with myself in a mirror and maybe regain some common sense.

[ghost]

I just spent $1200 using that reasoning. 

[Signe]

I love toy cars, too.  Have everyone chip in and buy him one of those Anki Drive starter kits and an iPad.  Then you can steal it when he falls asleep.  It doesn't matter if he's only four.  You're not four.  You won't regret it. 

Or one of these:



 I saw one in an ToyRUs advert and it's looks like too much fun!  :)

[Rasix]

Heh, we got him the Thomas branded train table a couple years ago. He got a lot of use out of it.  They're mostly over that stuff at age 4, at least my kid is by now.

[Ingmar]

I just spent $1200 using that reasoning. 

That's a hell of a gas tank.

[Salamok]

I just spent $1200 using that reasoning. 

That's a hell of a gas tank.

Or 24 affordable items.

[Ghambit]

I'm re-gifting my old used vid. and tabletop games this year.  I'm broke.   
That said, some of this stuff has pretty significant sentimental value and will hopefully be appreciated (my nephew is now reading, writing, and adding well [and is obsessed with games]... so I'm handing him and my brother down my complete Descent collection.)

My other brother is now old enough to play a teen-rated game... so he gets my Dark Souls.

Last time I tried a 'sentimental' gift I got the "wtf" look (w/o a hint of jokiness) from my gf. [edit - Angry post]

[Signe]

So what are you giving her this xmas then?

[Nebu]

What do I get for my 19 year old daughter that already gets everything from her rich MD mother?

I'm doing some serious soul searching this year.

[Trippy]

iPad Mini with Retina Display?

[Nebu]

iPad Mini with Retina Display?

If it's iAnything, she has it.  Her mom bought her a bunch of iCrap and a brand new Subaru for her birthday...

I think I may have found a few ideas.  Uncommongoods and thinkgeek are great sites.

[Viin]

A trip to Europe with you.

[Yegolev]

What do I get for my 19 year old daughter that already gets everything from her rich MD mother?

I'm doing some serious soul searching this year.

A new set of Arkham Horror dice?

[Selby]

What do I get for my 19 year old daughter that already gets everything from her rich MD mother?

Ask her?  My family has a policy: if you want something reasonable but don't say anything to anyone about it when asked point blank, you have no reason to complain.  Personally I haven't asked for anything in years now and don't really get anything and really don't care.  I'm just happy to spend time with my family despite all of our shortcomings.

[Paelos]

Amazon gift cards.

[Ghambit]

What do I get for my 19 year old daughter that already gets everything from her rich MD mother?

I'm doing some serious soul searching this year.

A new set of Arkham Horror dice?

An IRA account.

So what are you giving her this xmas then?

[schild]

What do I get for my 19 year old daughter that already gets everything from her rich MD mother?

I'm doing some serious soul searching this year.

As someone with a serious mismatch of parents, I can tell you flat out that no material thing is even remotely relevant. At least not in the long term.

[lamaros]

What do I get for my 19 year old daughter that already gets everything from her rich MD mother?

I'm doing some serious soul searching this year.

Some shared activity you can do together? Are girls over the 'parents, don't be seen with them' stage at 19?

[Signe]

So what are you giving her this xmas then?

You're giving her dicks in a box?

[Yegolev]

It's always a winner.

[Signe]

Even though my sister always says not to buy her anything, I still get her a tiny something for holidays because she's such a good person and has helped me so much the past few years.  She does wildlife rescue and all her pets (except the parrot) are rescued.  The love of her life is her beautiful rescued pit bull, Loki.  So I got her this:



Ten percent of the stuff they sell goes to a pit bull rescue.  I swear, if Loki was a sugar skull, she'd look exactly like this... right down to the happy smile.  It's small, maybe the size of a penny.  They're on Etsy, btw, and not expensive.

[Yegolev]

My wife had this flat-ish flashlight that she loved because she could easily hold it next to the barrel of her Glock.  She doesn't want a mounted light, so I was trying to think how to search for flat Maglite-like lights.  Most of them seem to be novelty-grade.