Question of the Day: Saturday, Dec. 7

feralvr

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Good morning to all! :wavey: I am filling in for Mani today.

:santa: :deer: Christmas is fast approaching and I am hosting it this year at our new home for my husband's side of the family. We always do the White Elephant fun gift exchange and that has been the tradition for my husband's family since we first met years ago. For my side of the family, we take turns picking a charity each year for donation.

:Evergreen: Do you and your family have a traditional Holiday gift exchange? :Evergreen:
 
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catlover19

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We have always bought gifts for all of the kids and drew names for the adults. We changed it up this year, our family is just getting too big. At $15-20 per kid and 10 kids plus a limit of $50 for the adult gift, it was getting way too expensive. Now, we are drawing names for the kids only with a $30 limit. I only have 1 child so for me it only costs $30 but for others it is $60-90. 
 

dejolane

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My husband and I go to our daughters house in the morning and exchange gifts with the grandkids. My daughter and son in law don;t exchange gifts with us and that is just fine with us. Always short around the holidays so we just get gifts for the 2 grandkids.
 

MoochNNoodles

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With DH's family we give to the kids only and then maybe something for his parents.  2 of my nephews and 1 SIL have birthdays within the 4 weeks prior to Christmas and then we have a January birthday right after; it can get a bit overwhelming!  I also do nieces and nephews only for my side.  I think we are up to 8 all together and 2 of my step-siblings have yet to procreate. 
  I guess thats what happens with big families!

DH and I do different things for gifts for each other. Sometimes we shop, sometimes we save it for a big purchase (like the computer or our TV) as my Dad usually sends a little money and so does my Grandmother.  Or like this year; I found my mixer at a great price so we got it and that is my gift.  

I always do gifts for my parents, grandparents, and my dads side of the family.  How much I spend on each person (or couple) varies; it's a token of love and appreciation thing.  My Aunt is my Grandma's caretaker and probably 3 or more times a year I'll find a box on my front steps with clothing she's picked up for my kids and mailed to me.  Sometimes books are included.  She just does a lot for our family; it's a chance to give back to her in some way.  I try to shop throughout the whole year to help with the cost and bring presents up myself when we go visit so I don't have to ship.
 
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feralvr

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We have always bought gifts for all of the kids and drew names for the adults. We changed it up this year, our family is just getting too big. At $15-20 per kid and 10 kids plus a limit of $50 for the adult gift, it was getting way too expensive. Now, we are drawing names for the kids only with a $30 limit. I only have 1 child so for me it only costs $30 but for others it is $60-90. 
We did that in my family in the early years and yes, it got to be so expensive that we just bought for the kids. Now that they are all older we got into the charity idea. People can give what they can.
 
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feralvr

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 2 of my nephews and 1 SIL have birthdays within the 4 weeks prior to Christmas

 

 My Aunt is my Grandma's caretaker and probably 3 or more times a year I'll find a box on my front steps with clothing she's picked up for my kids and mailed to me.  Sometimes books are included.  She just does a lot for our family; it's a chance to give back to her in some way.
My bday is the day after. ARGH. Worst day of the year for a bday. No one is in the mood. :lol3: We have multiple family bdays in December too.

Your aunt sounds like an incredibly loving lady and very generous to her family. :nod:
 

margecat

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We do our Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, or that weekend, due to scheduling conflicts.

We do all exchange gifts.

Another tradition is to play "Dirty Bingo" after our lunch. It has nothing to do with Bingo--MIL always called it that!  Everyone brings tackily-wrapped tacky gag gifts, and some are useful, but cheap ones--like secreting $1.00 bills in something else. Two decks of cards are dealt, and, when your card is called, you pick a gift from the pile on the table. then, when all cards are used up, then you get to "steal" from someone else's pile.  We have such fun! I spend weeks crafting elaborate collages of stuff from ads, catalogs, etc. on the wrapping paper--sometimes, I'll even use a bizarre ad photo, and create a fake newspaper article around it for the wrap. Or, I'll use one to make a fake book cover with a funny title. The wrapping has to be as ugly/bizarre as possible!
 
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wolvesandbears

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Pretty simple for me - in the morning, a small  personal gift exchange with my closest family, then later on in the day there is a really big Xmas party with rest of the family and some friends, and after a meal we all exchange gifts!
 

blueeyes

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Good morning to all! :wavey: I am filling in for Mani today.

:santa: :deer: Christmas is fast approaching and I am hosting it this year at our new home for my husband's side of the family. We always do the White Elephant fun gift exchange and that has been the tradition for my husband's family since we first met years ago. For my side of the family, we take turns picking a charity each year for donation.
Sheila

:Evergreen: Do you and your family have a traditional Holiday gift exchange? :Evergreen:


Yes in my family, my husband and I we take turns opening our presents Christmas morning. It makes Christmas last longer. My daughter makes her cinnamon rolls, I make coffee and then open presents it takes around two hours. As for donating, I feed the Homeless, it begins this Sunday. My husband and I, do this for four months..from December...to March.
 
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mani

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There aren't a whole lot of us, so we just give each other gifts.. there isn't a particular routine.


Thank you Feralvr, for a great question
 

Winchester

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My sister and BIL 

My brother and SIL

Rick's parents 

Our kids and the grandchildren

And each other.

Rick and I open one little package on Christmas Eve after he comes home from Christmas Eve service, just a little stocking stuffer type of gift. Then we take turns opening our gifts on Christmas morning. I have sticky buns and hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows ready to go, along with a small plate of cookies for our breakfast. It's my last little time of sanity in the morning before I have to start working on Christmas dinner.
 
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jcat

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We do things the German way - gifts are opened Christmas Eve. Nowadays the kids (nieces and nephews) all get gift certificates so they can buy what they want, and the adults get something small. My family in the U.S. did it in a hybrid way - family gifts were opened Christmas Eve, while stuff from "Santa Claus" was opened Christmas day.
 
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feralvr

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My sister and BIL 
. I have sticky buns and hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows ready to go, along with a small plate of cookies for our breakfast.
Oh Pam. :lol3: You always make me :drool: when I read your posts about your fabulous cooking/baking, etc. I love Christmas morning breakfasts - it's all about sugar. ;) The way is should be. :yummy:
 
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