|
|
Gee Thanks... holiday gift no-no's
12-03-2009, 11:00 AM
|
#1
|
Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 6,178
|
Gee Thanks... holiday gift no-no's
Each year my friends and family ask that dreaded question....What do you want for Christmas? I rarely have the gumption to tell them the truth (wildly spendy car, vacation getaway overlooking the Champs-elysees, youth, world peace, etc) and so foolishly leave to their whims, these seasonal decisions. Maybe a list of stuff not wanted or needed would be useful instead?
Here's this years list topper - a bathroom scale that broadcasts daily results to the internet via twitter. Yup - I want everyone to know that I had pie for dinner and dessert
Do not get me one of these!
What's on your 'don't want don't need, leave it at the store' list?
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
12-03-2009, 04:01 PM
|
#2
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 182
|
Hope the person who gave me this doesn't hang out on this forum -
How about a life-size ceramic armadillo? I'd have been happier if that one had been left at the store.
It's so hard to come up with a nice response when receiving something lilke that. At least I must have looked surprised!
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:11 PM
|
#3
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 12,657
|
--One time, my grandma stated that she did not want to receive any more gifts of soap from her grandchildren, of whom she had a great many. She said it made her feel as if people thought she didn't wash. She had a good point.
--I see that nobody's jumped on the make-fun-of-fruitcake bandwagon yet. I happen to love good fruitcake, and make a mean home-made one. Good homemade fruitcake is a very elegant gift, in my opinion.
--If it really was the thought that counted, wouldn't we just give one another thoughts?
A.
__________________
If you understood everything I say, you'd be me ~ Miles Davis
'There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.’ Christopher Morley.
Even a blind clock finds an acorn twice a day.
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:15 PM
|
#4
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by gettingthere
Hope the person who gave me this doesn't hang out on this forum -
How about a life-size ceramic armadillo? I'd have been happier if that one had been left at the store.
It's so hard to come up with a nice response when receiving something lilke that. At least I must have looked surprised!
|
"WOW!!! I have never seen anything LIKE this! Thank you so much. This is just amazing!! It will look great on the desk at my office. "
Then, give it to someone at work for a Secret Santa present next year... Or, if the person is a co-worker, tell them it will look great on your desk at home.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:22 PM
|
#5
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 182
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
"WOW!!! I have never seen anything LIKE this! Thank you so much. This is just amazing!! It will look great on the desk at my office. "
|
Thanks, W2R. I am starting to practice this line just in case I need it this year.
Unfortunately, we don't do Secret Santa at my w*rkplace, but I'm hoping for a good regifting oppotunity to come up.
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:22 PM
|
#6
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amethyst
--I see that nobody's jumped on the make-fun-of-fruitcake bandwagon yet. I happen to love good fruitcake, and make a mean home-made one. Good homemade fruitcake is a very elegant gift, in my opinion.
|
You should have been my late mother's child. She made an especially elegant fruitcake every year and would give one to each of their friends. We in the family all hated fruitcake, but would never tell her that since she was such a sweet person and trying to please. I would usually turn it down, citing weight loss efforts. My brothers would say something like they would love to stay and eat a piece but they were late for football practice. My father would dutifully eat his piece and tell all of us how wonderful it was, and then would pressure us into eating more (probably so that there would be less of it left for him the next day). He didn't like it either but that was his secret.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:23 PM
|
#7
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,172
|
Maybe it might be better, if you know poison is coming, to pick your own rather than let the givers decide. Maybe it's a generational thing.......DD and SIL and their siblings and their kids (including infants) have wishlists on Amazon (which, we recently learned , can also include stuff from other sites). Sounds kind of tacky at first, but it makes it easy to shop for something they could actually use and appreciate. Just hope that they have enough sense to include some dollar stuff in addition to the $600 grills, etc.
Not sure who they know who would spring for the latter except themselves.
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:28 PM
|
#8
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaneohe
Maybe it might be better, if you know poison is coming, to pick your own rather than let the givers decide. Maybe it's a generational thing.......DD and SIL and their siblings and their kids (including infants) have wishlists on Amazon (which, we recently learned , can also include stuff from other sites). Sounds kind of tacky at first, but it makes it easy to shop for something they could actually use and appreciate. Just hope that they have enough sense to include some dollar stuff in addition to the $600 grills, etc.
Not sure who they know who would spring for the latter except themselves.
|
Maybe they included the $600 grill for the psychological effect. When you buy them the $300 thingamajig instead, you don't feel like you are buying the most expensive thing on the list and spoiling them.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:33 PM
|
#9
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,323
|
...still in shock over the ceramic armadillo...
__________________
Please consider adopting a rescue animal. So very many need a furr-ever home and someone to love them! And if we all spay/neuter our pets there won't be an overpopulation to put to death.
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:46 PM
|
#10
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 606
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
...still in shock over the ceramic armadillo...
|
Ditto.
Also, wondering if that gift might have been a "re-gift" to you...
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:50 PM
|
#11
|
Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
|
My daughter who I love dearly went through an artistic period and gave me artistic photos she had done in frames so I had to hang them . Exactly where do you hang a close up of people's noses ??
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:52 PM
|
#12
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,297
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
My daughter who I love dearly went through an artistic period and gave me artistic photos she had done in frames so I had to hang them . Exactly where do you hang a close up of people's noses ??
|
Bathrooms? kitchen?
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 04:55 PM
|
#13
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 12,657
|
__________________
If you understood everything I say, you'd be me ~ Miles Davis
'There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.’ Christopher Morley.
Even a blind clock finds an acorn twice a day.
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 05:03 PM
|
#14
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
|
Quote:
She put so much booze in that fruitcake that I think it was the main ingredient! I think she put a lot of rum in it. That, plus imported candied fruits of dozens of kinds and in all sorts of pretty colors, but they didn't seem to go with the booze.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 05:06 PM
|
#15
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 182
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
My daughter who I love dearly went through an artistic period and gave me artistic photos she had done in frames so I had to hang them . Exactly where do you hang a close up of people's noses ??
|
Near the tissue box.
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 05:07 PM
|
#16
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,172
|
Hadn't thought of that.....but if that's the strategy, it's still not working. Must be the PT$D from the wedding a few yrs back.
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 05:09 PM
|
#17
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 182
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ksr
Ditto.
Also, wondering if that gift might have been a "re-gift" to you...
|
You may be on to something there...
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 05:26 PM
|
#18
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Nowhere, 43N Latitude, NY
Posts: 9,037
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by gettingthere
Hope the person who gave me this doesn't hang out on this forum -
How about a life-size ceramic armadillo? I'd have been happier if that one had been left at the store.
It's so hard to come up with a nice response when receiving something lilke that. At least I must have looked surprised!
|
a- HA I knew you hated it!
Just kidding.
Exactly how high IS an armadillo ?
__________________
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 05:46 PM
|
#19
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
|
Has anyone tried a regifting party? I heard about this idea at work. I would say it requires a lot of trust, and good long term records on donors. This is one situation where your various social circles wouldn't want to overlap!
|
|
|
12-03-2009, 06:17 PM
|
#20
|
Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
|
Years ago we had a holiday party and one of my friends was unhappy with her gift . It was a chandelier and pretty ugly . Well since the party was at my house I gave her my present and kept the ugly chandelier . It would then show up at all the following parties as a gift .Sometimes embellished . We got a lot of fun out of that present . I still chuckle at the memory !
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|