It's Begun

[zombienixon]

I usually get asked by my Mom, but most of the time I can't think of anything, so I just end up getting cash along with something like a T-Shirt, which works out fine for me.  I think this year I might actually ask for something- a couple of 1:18 diecast cars. I saw a few that were really nice, so I've got some options.

[northstar3184]

With A Halloween birthday and Christmas less than 8 weeks later, it's begun for me too. Hell, I'll be starting my own holiday shopping this week. The ironic part is, the humans in my family are the easy ones to buy for. It's my German Shepherd that is picky with toys (e. g. no stuffed animals-they won't last a day, no toy balls- she rarely touches them, no squeak toys with a regular squeak sound-she'll ignore them). The only toys she'll play with are latex squeak toys that make realistic animal sounds.

[elvenwine26]

Honestly no one ever asks me what I want for Christmas.  The only person to ask the past two years was my friend Irma who was buying everyone nut mixes from a website and she gave me the option of choosing a cashew free option. Lol.

[RainbowRay]

I often have plenty of things I want, normally toys or pretty rocks, but I never GET them. What's the point of asking then??

I have a much harder time thinking of what to give other people though. Especially brothers! What's with brothers?
So I often just end up only giving something to a few people when I get a good idea.

[Strawberry Swirl]

I just tell them get me money or gift cards. Otherwise, I get things I don't care about and have to figure out a way to lie my way through it.

[NovelNerd]

I wish I had your problems. My mom just gets me whatever she happens to find that she thinks I might want (which is usually pretty nice, but still). I always DO give her a wishlist and I almost always get nothing on it.

But the truth of the matter is that I pretty much always get ponies (and always have my entire life), so that's cool. And that's why everyone thinks I'm the easiest person in the world to buy presents for. "Oh Kirsten? I can check her off the list right away. I'll just go pick up a pony or some pony merch!"

My brother on the other hand... He doesn't watch DVDs. He doesn't really play Video Games. He doesn't listen to music. He doesn't read. He doesn't collect anything. What do you get for someone like that? I pretty much always get him silly bands for Christmas as a joke.

Clothing, gift cards or something related to his interests? Most of my family members don't collect either an neither does my wife, but they enjoy plenty of other things.


There is hardly anything I want ever, but I usually ask for money or new dress clothing for work. My parents are kindly helping us pay for our new mattress as our gift. 

[Skeen]

If people ask I say ponies (assuming they understand what ponies are), but since I neither want nor expect anything whatever they get me is fine with me.  I think my boss is getting me a bird bath.  Last year she got me a Dutch oven, and the year before she got me an ice cream maker. 

...Wow, I'm spoiled.   

[MikeysGrrrl]

That's the question I dread the most from my family. Regardless of how I answer it, they always respond with "We're not buying toys, trinkets or electronics." I'm certainly grateful when I do receive a gift, but it would be nice if it was something I was interested in vs what they believe I need. With my birthday being 5 weeks before Christmas, I get the question 2 times, not only that but my family is very old fashioned, as in "women belong in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant", which leads to traditional household gifts (tea towels, vacuum, frying pan etc) or Christmas décor that is the opposite of what I like.

[Kaeldre]

My mother starts asking me for a Christmas list around mid-October.  The last few years I've asked for books, video games, socks, undies, bedding...  It's usually stuff I want and keep meaning to buy, but either keep putting it off or don't want to spend money on it at the time.  I know one thing I'm asking for is a luggage set, but that's about it.

[Shimmer Mist]

  they always respond with "We're not buying toys, trinkets or electronics."

That's about the same response I get. I'm always grateful for everything I get and I do get some pretty awesome presents, but, most of the stuff on the top of my wishlist is overlooked. It's usually along the lines of Transformers/Other toys, DVD Box sets, video games. My parents aren't exactly fond of the fact that I like to collect toys or that I still waste my time watching cartoons so I suppose they don't want to "feed my addiction" or something. My mom usually asks me to write down everything I want so that's exactly what I do.  However, I never expect to get any figures I put on there. Also, it's not as if my wishlists are completely comprised of toys, either.

[Miniature Sheep]

I always start asking people what they want around October, so at least it gets them thinking. It worked with my dad, but then he always asks for books about dead rockstars or CDs by obscure metal bands, so he's pretty easily suited.
My 'thing' for christmas used to be to ask my family to make a donation to a marine conservation charity, but only one of said family members actually listened and that was a one-off several years ago, so now I just ask for Waterstones vouchers instead. At least that way, I can get a book and then give the money I would've spent on the book to the charity, so it works out in the end.

[Sora]

I dread this question. There's a lot of stuff out there I want, but...
There is nothing in England that I want.

Sure, my mother knows where to get the imports, but no one else does, so... I usually just ask for gift cards (or, if there's a videogame, I'll ask them for that).

[Einhornbaby]

Awww, I know how many of you feel...

They ask what I want, they get anything else but certainly not what I said. "You dont need that" or "Thats silly" or "What on earth do you want to do with that??"... thats what I get told lol. Who cares if I "need" it, a present is for making the person happy, nothing else. Well at least I see it that way. I mostly get stuff, my mother likes herself... sadly its often stuff I myself wont really buy. I got some great presents in the past... but the stuff I really wanted was often ignored. Well, thats life. I learned not to ask for certain stuff and rather buy it myself.

But there are some people that really care to make one happy with the gift they make!

My mother-in-law for example is an extremely intelligent and perceptive woman, she always knows what one would like, normally even before they know themselves. She definitely has a good sense of what we all like and is always good for a suprise. Last year she got me an amazing gift, that I am still happy with but never knew I wanted it until I got it, lol. It was a self-made blanket, made of red super-soft owl-patterned fabric. I use it nearly every single day and love it to pieces! She also got me a huge crochet owl, hand-made too. All that along with my favourite candy from which I never knew she had an idea that I love that stuff. Well, she might not be a person you could hand a list of what you want but the gifts are definitely special and I totally enjoy them because they are always made with tons of love.
And my aunt! She always tries to get my stuff I need / want but wont ever buy myself because they are too expensive. No toys or other "silly" stuff though lol, because "Those are cheap enough, you can buy them yourself." The good thing is : she mostly lets me pick the things myself when we meet for shopping or so. So I can for example pick clothes I like and try them on (im a chubby person so trying it on is important before buying). And she loves to give me beads for my pandora bracelet which I really love since she always picks things I would have chosen too.
And my daughter...Hehe, she may be young, but she has good ideas of what one would like! She normally gives very thoughtful hand-made presents like for example bookmarks, salt-dough sculptures or pen holders but this year she picked something at a store for the first time. She was on a shopping tour with my aunt lately when my aunt called me to ask me about a book she just saw at the store... while we talked I heard my daughter chanting happily "I found something for Mama, looooook, thats perfect, I need to get it for her!" My aunt later told me, she was soo proud to find a "grown-up gift" for me... soo cute!

And m husband ...yeah, to be honest, we normally dont buy each other secret presents lol. For christmas we normally buy things we both enjoy, so its like we share a present and spend time with it together. This year we will buy videogame stuff we both want


What do you all think of gift cards and stuff like that? I cant say I dont like them but... its a little bit tricky. I got one last year for my birthday and it was super great! It was for an online bookstore and I had such a good time picking books I wanted and I remember being very happy but ... when I think of it now, I cant remember which books I got which makes me a little sad. It was a nice and well-meant gift, but in the end, I prefer looking at certain things given to me by someone. Like "Oh thats the XYZ I got from ABC, wasnt that nice?" Sounds kinda weird I guess, lol.

[starrypawz]

I dread this question. There's a lot of stuff out there I want, but...
There is nothing in England that I want.

Sure, my mother knows where to get the imports, but no one else does, so... I usually just ask for gift cards (or, if there's a videogame, I'll ask them for that).

Oh gosh I get that too like 'I'd like this thing but you have to get it online from another country so you'd have to pay to ship it as well and I know if you're not careful you can get hit with an 'import fee' which happened when I brought some shirts and the fee itself was 8gbp but royal mail shoved on like 10gpb 'handling fee'