Stopping the presents at Christmas???

[prawnprincess]

Maybe they're not so much trying to show off, but they just like shopping. That would make sense considering their financial difficulties. I bet they aren't really shopping for you and your family members but just having fun with the spirit of shopping for its own sake. At least we can be thankful that we don't have the same habit of purchasing frivolous gifts. Stay strong! You could tell them you're trying to have a modest Christmas this year, and if your family gets too many things you'll donate the gifts to charity.

[Joy]

Sounds fun ... not ! been there seen it! Can a Family Email be sent out and explain to each member of the family that you guys are going to "adopt" another family for Christmas?

At a Church, community center or food bank would have a list of familys that could use presents and a dinner for themselves and their children. Then your whole family is doing something wonderful for another family. The part of your family that goes over broad would then be able to fill their need to buy buy buy...... Then you wouldn't end up with $300 of Candle's and Lotion.

Your whole family could then enjoy the abundance you have knowing a family in desperate need of food is enjoying abudance too

[happy ending]

that is a wonderful idea joy. i am a bit over christmas myself. i always seem to be lucky to get even one gift i like or can use. i just buy children books now, having seen they seem to get 10 crappy toys that are broken carp in a week. at least a book is educational. this year i am buying my whole family books. i have 20 family members to buy pressie for so it gets expensive. as well as cheap gift packs i also dont like calorie gifts ie choccies, sweets etc gee i do sound like an old grouch!

[WildChild]

Books are great, so are jig saw puzzles or board games the entire family can play - some of those are educational. When my kids were younger we liked the "Clue" puzzles. You put the puzzle together, read a short story and try to solve the mystery using clues in the puzzle. It's the charactures from the game Clue, as children. We actually used one at a birthday party.

[happy ending]

i am a big reader, i love it so i really enjoy buying books for people, we even have a tradition of reading the books then gifting them. lucky we all have similar tastes!

[WildChild]

LOL I do this all the time, or I want to keep the book so I'll get several copies to share.

[happy ending]

i wonder if my family gets at all suspicious they receive books from MY favorite authors, the other thing i do, to ensure i get a present i love, is buy myself a christmas present. i have had some crappy christmases and that is the best way i have found to cheer yourself up.

[happy ending]

haha you can say crappy but not carp!

[WildChild]

LOL at least we can say "bizzare" now, we didn't used to be able to.

[jnd2009]

I've actually been in the Christmas mind set too - Christmas means end of the semester for me, I look forward to it beginning in August- the beginning of the semester. Anyways, I know what you mean with cheap, worthless gifts. I wish I could tell my boyfriend's step mom that. She wastes so much money every year on little things I'll never use. Those are the presents that are brought out for us after the whole family leaves. An idea is a gift giving game...
Set a price limit. Every person brings one gift under/on that limit. For as many people as there are (say 25 people participate). put numbers 1-25 on pieces of paper in a hat, everyone picks one. All the gifts go in a pile-wrapped of course. The person who has 1 picks a gift and opens it in front of everyone. They hold on to it, and #2 goes and can either take what the person before them chose, or picks an unopened one. If a present is taken from a previous person, that person gets to pick to steal from someone else, or opens an unopened one. The same gift cannot be "stolen" more than 3 times. The third "steal", that person keeps it. Go through the numbers until everyone has chosen and has a gift.