Monday, November 30, 2009

Holiday Giving

November 30, 2009

My Wish List
Through out the year, I maintain a wish list. Sometimes people ask me for a wish list, and I give it to them. But items on it never get fulfilled. It’s also something for hubby to look at when he asks what I want for my birthday or Christmas. So here is a list of items on my wish list that I have accumulated over the year.

So the list is not long at all. Yeah, I can just go and buy it myself, but I'm not because it is one of those things that I don't have to have it.


Best Gifts to Give / Best Gifts to Receive : Gift Certificates, Cash, Gift Cards.

For teenager especially, they love getting cash. They can spend it on whatever they want. Plants are nice for the hostess or somebody you really have no idea what they like.

During the holiday season, I give Amaryllis that I have planted. This needs to be done in the second or third week of November so that when you are about to give it, the stem will start to grow, but it will not be difficult for you to transport. I have 6 planted, gave away two already, and one is just about to bloom.

Something you’ve made. Whether it’ll be jewelry or a small painting or cards it’ll remind them of you when they use it. I’ve made quilts over the years, and for two years, I gave quilts to our nieces and nephews and family. I’ve stopped doing that now because there is only so much quilts a family can have. I’ll probably start it up again when the kids graduate high school and are on their way to college. That’ll be in 6 – 9 years or so. Plenty of time, plenty of time.

Worse Gifts to Give / Worse Gifts to Receive

Anything Christmassy
. The worse are the Christmassy gifts that you receive on Christmas Day. These include Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas décor, Christmas plates etc. What the hell are you going to do with it for the rest of the year? If it is a Christmas tree ornament, you can to enjoy it until you take the tree down (if you even have a tree).

Scarves, gloves and wallets. How many of these can you have?

Gag gifts. I must admit, I love giving gag gifts but I hate receiving them. Gag gifts might be fun for teenage boys or a guy who just has not quite grown up yet, like a fart bomb or a remote control fart machine. But it is only funny for a few minutes.

One year we gave a friend’s son a fire extinguisher because he got in huge trouble with the college because of a fire extinguisher prank he did.

Best Gifts for Children
I try to always include a book with any gift that we give. Throughout the year, I listen to the stories that the parents tell about their kids adventures. One year, our nephew went to sailing camp, and I learnt that he loved clam chowder. One of his gifts was cans of Trader Joe’s clam chowder, and also ingredients and a recipe on how to make clam chowder. For nieces I try to buy artsy fartsy stuff that they can make. One year it was a scrapbook kit, another year it was threads and instructions on how to make friendship bracelets. We try to stay away from toys, and instead gear towards educational items.

So what are the worse gift and the best gift you have gotten? And, what is the worse gift or best gift you have given?

Quilt & Bitch

3 comments:

p00lriah said...

best gift i gave was probably a bag from an european accessory maker that shall remain nameless. :P

i think multiple small gifts for a person is a cool idea. one year i got my friend a bunch of little gifts (about 5 things) and i ended up spending less $$. although they weren't expensive i did put a lot of thoughts into it, and all the items were useful stuff. it turned out quite nicely.

Quilt+Bitch said...

Is this European accessory maker falls under the Gucci, Chanel, LV category?

p00lriah said...

guilty.