NBR - Christmas Shopping

MillerMama13 · November 2015

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet but DH and I are talking about when we plan to go Christmas shopping. Let's share gift ideas!!

I need gift ideas for:

DD 2.5 years old she'll be almost 3 by Christmas. March birthday.

MIL (super picky!!)

FIL

SIL (super picky!!)

SILs fiancé

I usually end up getting MIL and SIL small little things and then a gift card because they're so dang picky. They hate gift cards too but idc. They're impossible.

Huskerfanz · November 2015

So far I am getting my FBIL a nerf gun and SIL an iced tea maker.

NicknShan · November 2015

Ikea has a great art easel for like $25 if your DD doesn't have one yet. They have jumbo rolls of paper and great art supplies.

I love gifting Mukluk slippers. (for SIL/MIL). You can always buy jewelry too. Fashion/Statement pieces. A basic shirt to go along with this. Also, new hats and mits are fun. Or smart wool socks. They are the best socks on the planet. The Urban Decay Naked palette is also the best makeup. I would love that as a gift. If they like to host, nice cheese trays, serving trays, casserole pans with their initials etched in them. I also gift groupons for massages or local restaurants. I also do fun kitchen things like salad dressing mixers, herb shears, etc. Potted herbs they can keep in doors has also been a fun gift. Nail polish (I stick to nudes or pick tones and like OPI brand).

For your FIL, have you thought about a package from something like Omaha Steaks? Or your local butcher? A great bottle of whiskey? It's hard to give ideas, because I don't know where you live or his interest, but you can gift fishing/hunting items iif he is into that. A great messenger bag. Again - nice socks. There are socks called forever socks. Guaranteed for life. No holes or you get a new pair. My husband loves them. Slippers with a sole. A new bathrobe. A new leather belt.

Hope this helps you think of a few things!

Funkymooncow · November 2015

Oh dear - I feel for you choosing for picky in laws!
My in laws do christmas very strangely - they buy their own presents, give them to the person they are 'from', who then reimburses them and wraps the presents ready for Christmas! Drives me crazy but at least I don't have to decide what to get them!

Wyattnash00 · November 2015

Love that art easel idea @NicknShan! Totally stealing that idea for my nice and nephew! Separate families, same gift, love checking 2 off my list. I'll totally be stalking this thread! I'm big into sending local foods, like there's a great cupcake place near my inlaws in MA, so send them something yummy from there. I've done Omaha steaks a bunch, wolfermans is also yummy for sending far away, it's breakfast stuff, pastries, cakes. And you can't ever go wrong with a gift card to a local restaurant. Can you tell I live far away from family?!

MillerMama13 · November 2015

Funkymooncow said:
Oh dear - I feel for you choosing for picky in laws!
My in laws do christmas very strangely - they buy their own presents, give them to the person they are 'from', who then reimburses them and wraps the presents ready for Christmas! Drives me crazy but at least I don't have to decide what to get them!

This is what my MIL does. She buys herself presents and gives them to FIL to wrap and give her for Christmas. Even her own husband doesn't know what to buy her. But she expects gifts and not gift cards. The bad thing is her bday is the day after Christmas and she expects a completely separate gift for that as well.

The urban decay makeup sounds right up SILs alley! I may use that one and the nail polish.

They live in Cali and we're in IL so I like to shipping ideas.

MynaBird · November 2015

My daughter turned 2 in August, and for Christmas/Hanukkah (we do a little bit of both) I went a little bit crazy the last time Brio was on Zulily and ordered her a ton of trains and tracks. It's her favorite thing at Barnes & Noble and the children's museum, so I know they'll be a hit. And her grandmother bought a train table for our playroom.

My MIL is super picky too, but she has a soft spot for L'Occitane body products, so I go to that well often.

lm45678 · November 2015

For the picky people in my life I always give mani/pedi gift cards... They deserve a little "me time"blah blah blah.

It may not be personal, but everyone is always thrilled!

MillerMama13 · November 2015

I feel like my DD is too dang spoiled. I seriously don't know what to get her. She loves books and puzzles but she has TONS of them. She has a train table already. And an art easle. She has 4 riding toys. One of which is battery powered. Endless amounts of toys and stuffed animals. She has all the instuments to start her own toddler rock band. My. MIL sends a box of crap for her about once a month. It's out of hand. They want to buy her her first bike for Christmas this year. I vetoed that. She's 2 yrs old and I already have a hard time thinking of something to get her because she has everything already.

MynaBird · November 2015

@MillerMama13 Do you have the storage space to try cycling her toys? Put some away for a few months, then swap them out with some other things that aren't getting used much? I also feel like at 2, she's young enough that she probably won't notice if you don't get her anything for Christmas, especially if relatives are going to shower her with gifts.

I like that at this age, I can go through her toys and purge stuff that's not being used and she's not yet old enough to notice/insist she really, really loves it and needs to keep it forever (which is what I used to do to my mom when she tried to get rid of stuff).

vmatt850 · November 2015

Picky sucks! My husband is actually picky. One gift that he really loved was a "bro-quet" or "bro-bucket". It was for Valentine's Day and I just got some of his favorite things and put them all together. I put them on dowels for varying height and arranged them kind of cute, but arranged them in a small bucket with shred.

For women, I usually do manis/pedis, or a themed basket. My MIL loves wines, cheeses, and all that good stuff. Last year I got her a nice bottle of wine, new cork-stopper thing, infused oil, cheese, and a nice bread from the bakery!

vulpini · November 2015

I like giving and receiving gift cards for mani/pedis or massages, nice quality new gloves and scarves and ear warmers, fragrance sets (if you know what they wear), unique jewelry (HollyYashi is one I've gotten and given in the past). Birthstone jewelry with grandkid birthstones for mom and MIL (a lot of this stuff can be tacky, but there are some very nice versions out there). I also like to browse uncommongoods.com for interesting gift ideas.

SmartWool socks are awesome. I haven't gotten them as gifts, but they are all I wear. They last for years and come in cute patterns (or plain ones too).

I got my husband a beer of the month club subscription once for his birthday and he loved it - every other month they sent a bunch of different craft beers. The only issue was that someone over the age of 21 had to be home to sign for the package. Another year I got him beer soap, a beer t-shirt, and beer peanut brittle and he really liked that set too.

If you're looking to spend a bit more - FitBit activity trackers are very popular for those who like to stay active and/or want to lose weight.

My 2 year old son loves getting new books, Crayola Color Wonder markers and coloring books, and LEGO Duplo sets. He also has a toy kitchen that I got second hand and bought dishes and play food for and he really enjoys it.

VikingGirl12 · November 2015

This is fun!

For part of MIL's gift I am making her one of those personalized calendars from Shutterfly. I made one for myself and DH, DS, and I love looking at it each month (I made it to where each month had whatever was happening last year at that time, so right now our November has a picture of DS in his thanksgiving outfit). I also love that you can put pictures into the dates.. So on all her grandkids bdays there are pictures of them. She's the kind that will love the sentiment and effort.

FIL will Prob get a nook giftcard or hunting clothes or whatever redneck thing he's into. DH chooses his stuff.

My son will be close to 2 (also a March baby) we are either getting him a swing set for the yard.. Give him something to do while I sit outside with this baby next summer. Or a train set table. Not sure yet.

cjt121413 · November 2015

These are great ideas! I have to admit I'm not great at picking out gifts. DH always tells me exactly what he wants, so that's easy. DS is pretty easy to please. The only problem is I tend to go overboard. I think for SIL I'll do the Naked palette and a couple nail polishes -great idea. I know she was asking about mine and it's something she wouldn't buy herself.

I always go back and forth about who to buy for on DH's side. He has four step siblings who all have children (one of them has 5 kids). In the past we have bought their kids' gifts (mainly because DH's sister does), but generally they don't buy gifts for DS. I just hate to spend the money if they're not.

Ahhh the holidays.

MillerMama13 · November 2015

@MynaBird I definitely told DH to bring her riding toys to storage. They take up too much room in the house and it's getting to be too cold to ride them outside. I also went through her room and filled a box of donate items. I just feel guilty getting rid of too much because MIL has bought her a ton and she asks me all the time "where's this toy or that toy? Doesn't she play with it?" She doesn't have enough time in the day to play with all her toys! I'm thinking Christmas is going to be skimpy on gifts for her. Hopefully we will be in a three or four bedroom house by time her birthday comes in March so we will have more space. We can spoil her for her bday. I also cannot wait to find out the sex of this baby so we know what we can sell and what we need to keep.

I'm loving these ideas!! The calendar would be perfect for MIL. She doesn't like any of the typical woman things like jewelry and wine. She can barely buy herself clothes she's so picky. She only likes a specific perfume and it's expensive as hell. SIL went in with us on a gift set last year.

chelthorn · November 2015

It is never to early to start Christmas shopping! (I am finished except for my daughter and husband.)

I have tons of kiddos to buy for so here is a list of what all we did this year.

(2) 10 month old boys: leggo duplos - little tikes tumble train

2 yo boy: big dump truck that moves around and the bucket really lifts

4 yo boy: leggo sets

4 yo girl: bunchems (they can create anything they can imagine!)

6 yo boy: minions & ninja turtle stuff

11 yo girl: bunchems (she ask for them lol)

parents & inlaws: giftcard to eat and go to a movie

Hubs: ????

3yo daughter: ??? my little pony, care bears, books, games, anything outdoorsy or to do with animals

TwoBadMice · November 2015

I'm getting everyone a pair of Farm to Feet socks. They are hands dow. The best socks ever they stretch out! They are made in NC with environmentally friendly practices and you can track the lamb where your wool came from!

PBear93 · November 2015

For grandparents, I took DD (she's a little over 3) to one of those paint your own pottery places and had her pick out a piece to paint for each grandparent. They will love them!!

MynaBird · November 2015

@PBear93 Such a good idea. My in-laws have a snowman collection, and last year my daughter painted a wooden snowman cutout from Michael's for them. (Well, I painted it white with a black hat, and then she sort of spread colored paint around on it.) I think we'll make that a tradition.

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