Sister Swap Ideas

[janet]

Great story Wildleggs!!!

Your Xmas ideas sounds great..yes it is hard to change tradition. Have you ever run into a situation when someone says after they open the gift, "I didn't give you a Xmas List, did I?" I said No, you didn't. I took this as if they didn't like the gift or they were disappointed...darn, I liked the gift and I would of loved to have it but it was too expensive for my family. So I guess I am hurt and just want to do Xmas for the family that lives in my house. So, how do I say this without sounding like a scrooge????? Our next get together will be this month and I thought I better let them know ahead of time that we won't be doing Xmas gift exchange. Gee it is even hard to type that!

janet

[wildleggs]

Hi! Janet,
Are you in our family??? LOL I have never had anyone say those exact words to me before. But I know exactly how you feel.
I work very hard to find the right gifts for our families. I try my best to get something they are interested in or that they will just like. I have to like a gift myself before I purchase it for someone else.
One year I bought a close relative a collection of stamps, because he was a collector. I thought it would be a good gift for him. But later as I was picking up the trash I found the box I had put them in unopened and in the trash!! He thought that I had given him an empty box!!! LOL I gave it to him and said there was something in it. He opened it and looked briefly at the stamps and tossed them aside and said "I already have that set!!" I was shocked!!! Never in my life had anyone ever been so rude to me before. Even if someone doesn't like the gift they should always appreciate the thought or have decency to toss it later. It hurt me sooo much. I still try though to get him something nice but now my DH has to do most of the planning for this person. Because I will always have that memory.
I do understand how you feel. It makes it really hard to spend the time and your hard earned money on someone who really doesn't appreciate it. Especially when you could buy your own husband or children a little better, or do something extra special during the holiday season with that extra cash.
Many years I have put myself and my husband aside during christmas giving JUST SO I could cover the extended family. My children are never over looked though.
Sometimes I wonder how christmas and gift giving got so crazy.
When I was a child we never gave to cousins and aunts and uncles but now days it's expected!! What's up with all that?
Since I started making gifts it seems to be a little easier though or maybe it's just my attitude has changed.
Anyway, Do what's right for you and your family. I believe the gift giving is getting a little out of hand anyway.
But just a thought on the homemade gifts....they create a magical time of you and your kids and the memories will last a lifetime!! So if grandpa jones makes a harsh remark or tosses the cookies... then...think on the laughter of the kids while they painted their toes and the snowman's toes green!! Or argued over what color to paint santa's gloves!! Those memories will wash away all the remarks! Plus teach kids to give from the heart.
Yours in connection, wild

[wildleggs]

Hi all!
This isn't exactly a craft idea but it would be a wonderful surprise gift idea for family such as aunts and uncles and grandparents.
How about putting together a family play or documentary on video?
I was going through some of my books today and ran across a book of plays and thought I might let my children dress up and put on a play to video tape for my sister whom lives in another state. She only gets to see us once a year and I think she would love to recieve this for christmas!! I know I would love the idea from her on herkids! Anyway just a thought.
wild in tx.

[Abear]

It just so happens that my cousin & I started the Christmas tradition we have on my mother's side of the family.

Back in 1980, we got an apartment together. We invited everyone over for Christmas Eve. We asked that all the adults bring a gift with a price ceiling of $ 10.00. About halfway through the party, we played the game called "White Elephant". It was great fun and everyone left with a gift! After grandkids started arriving and getting to the age that they wanted to play too, we let them have their own game. Now we have the rule that to play the "adult game" one has to be at least 16 yrs old.

We still have this every year and the price ceiling remained at $ 10.00 until just this last year. We increased it to $ 15.00.

You would be amazed at the great stuff you can get and stay well within the limits if you look throughout the year! It also spreads out your spending so that you are not buying everything at the same time!

[lawnangel]

Wow! Great stories. Wildlegs, I think I would never ever want to buy anything for the ungrateful stamp reciever! How rude!!! And I thought my sister was bad! She has enough money to buy anything she wants, compared to her, my family lives in poverty. I have such a hard time buying anything for her and her family because I know she buys whatever she wants anyway and she is also an ungrateful reciever, (I do love her with all my heart though). She bought a new (very expensive) house last year, so I thought some outside lights that run along the pathway would be really nice. UGH, this makes me so mad........she said, what are we going to do with these? I told her I thought they would look nice running along the walkway. Her husband, being very considerate agreed with me. She mumbled some B.S., and 8 months later they still sit in the garage waiting for the next garage sale. Yes, we hate to buy for inconsiderate people when we could have spent the money on our own kids or someone who deserves it and all the other memebers in my family agree that she never appreciates anything anyway so this year, I must take the advice of making homemade gifts with the kids and making memories for us that no one could throw away. ANd besides, grandmas love homemeade gifts better than anything form the store. Thanks for the advice and Merry Christmas!!

Debbie

[AuntieKLE]

Hi!

For my parents 40th wedding anniversary, my Brother & his wife decided that we should make stepping stones. We said sure, so we got together one weekend. It was fun trying to decide how we would do our hands. Then my DS (7) saw the cement all ready for prints and he planted his foot! We all laughed and decided that my DD (8) would add her other foot too! So it now looked like we had one set of feet when they actually belonged to each of my kids. My DH and I added our hands where ever they would fit around the footprints. We then added our last name using broken tiles. I also added the kids initials to their feet so we knew whose feet were whose! We used shells to decorate too.

My Brother & his wife later made their own. Everyone still laughs about how ours was started by my DS planting his foot!

Best of all my parents really loved the stepping stones and also the story behind it!

[Promisefaith2002]

You could use paper and make different headings and even do a paper piecing etc?

What can I say?? I am a scrapbook junkie!!!!!!!!

LOL!

Trish

[jeanie]

If someone is talking crafts And Christmas in the same sentence I'm there

One year I had planned to make a calender. Each month I was going to put the names of the birthday people and their pictures, along with pictures of things that happened in the family that month. I never did get to make it, but have "good intentions"
every year

I got so tired of the $ being put on Christmas. I have a sister in-law that wanted more spent on her child cause his gifts weren't good enough! WE draw names for the kids and the adults play dirty Santa. I got her sons name one year. after he (5 years old)
opened the gift I asked his Mom if he liked it. Her reply "I think he already has it" No "Thank You"...... I finally blew..... I told all my family that I refuse to put a price on Christmas and that they all should remember what it is about in the first place.
I refuse to be stressed. I want to enjoy every minute of it. I don't allow it to be commercialized in my home and my kids DO NOT make a list. :mad:
Sorry, I got on my soap box. Better hush before I get all worked up

[secamom]

HI
Just have to add my 2 cents..I wish we'd draw names for the family I always make things and my sister will always say" Another shirt for mom, she does nt even wear the last one you made"
And what did I received from my dear sister...A tub of red licorice Gotta love them lol

[janet]

Hello Wildleggs! No I am not in your family unless we want to start a new one today! lol I guess our family members must be alike! lol...I am going to tell everyone at our next gathering, I am making gifts only!!! or if they want I can skip them! I let you know how it goes over...this way they will at least know ahead of time. My mom loves when I bake her fresh bread and give her a jar of Thimbleberry Jam, heck the jam runs $10.00 for a 1/2 pint! I only eat some at Xmas, a treat for my immediate family. It is great for Xmas breakfast.

Thanks to everyone with the ideas, support and good will!!! You are all angels!!!!

janet

Lets keep all the crafty and Xmas gifts, birthday gifts, and all homemade ideas coming....they are Great!