What was your favorite gift... - to give?

PrairieMom wrote: I am trying to get The Boy to understand that giving is more important than receiving at Christmas time. We had a few people that we gave gifts to that didn't give to us, and that really threw Ben for a loop.

Every year after Christmas people ask "what did you get". To me, what you gave is more important.

So, what was your favorite gift to GIVE?



For me, my favorite was a family picture DH took of us and the inlaws that I framed with a nice matt. It turned out really pretty and my MIL loved it.

grapfruit replied: With out a doubt it was my bf's guitar. For a while I whinned about how he spent a lot of money on me (diamond earrings by the way ) and I didn't spend a bunch on him, and only got him two small gifts. Well he totally bought it. He thought I felt bad b/c I didn't buy him anything So on Saturday, I told him Tuesday (yesterday) we'd go out and get him something he wanted, he could pick it out.

Little did he know I had bought him a NICE guitar the day after Thanksgiving, it was just at his brother's house . (a guitar is an obvious present). So we opened all our presents at his mom and dad's. While he was otherwise occupied (easy enough to do). I ran out to his brother's car and brought in the guitar and plopped it down in front of him and told him, wait, one more.

He was totally confused. He was like, "one more for who?" He completely LOVED it!!! And the best part, he was totally surprised!

lisar replied: Well I have had alot of people in my family die of breast cancer. And they were my Granny's sisters. So I got her a silver locket that has the breast cancer awarness ribbon on it in pink and inside the locket I put pictures of her 2 sisters that died of it. And I bought her a really nice silver necklace to go with it. She loved it. I thought she was going to cry.

C&K*s Mommie replied: hmmm..... that is a toughie. But I think the best gift we gave was to Chris' cousins (a boy and a girl). They have been raised to be appreciative of everything, and with every gift they rec'd you would have thought it was the BEST in the world. Their expressions were priceless, and what they said was even better. They immediately thank whoever gave them that gift, and show it off to their parents. I love watching them open gifts.

We gave the boy cousin what he likes which are flannel pajama pants.
And the girl cousin wanted pj's too. So we gave her some Bobby Jack pj's.

PrairieMom replied:
what a nice idea.

Cece00 replied: Probably some stuff for my mom for her new house- she loved it! There was an antique bowl she REALLY loved...and I liked giving my MIL her big roaster oven, she had been really wanting one. And I liked giving DH his Sirius radio.

holley79 replied: I made all the grands and great grands brag books. They were a huge hit. A lot of work on my part but the smiles they recieved were well worth it. When Annika gets older we will go to the Angel Tree in the mall and let her pick an Angel to give to.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Probably the gift certificate I gave my parents to their favorite restaurant. It was totally last minute too, but my mom called very excited and was soooooo appreciative. They don't get to go out much anymore, so I know they will enjoy it!

Calimama replied: My husbands gift. I got him a Blackberry and he's sooo in love with it.

My3LilMonkeys replied: The handmade ornaments I gave to the people at my office - everyone was so appreciative of them and amazed that I made them.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: My favorite gift to give was a wreath I made for the inlaws. We'd alreayd bought them a fireplace for their cottage for Christmas a while back, when it started getting cold, since they were still renovationg, so they weren't expecting anything. I bought a cheap wreath at Walmart (5$), and I used some leftover fake flowers from my wedding (blue Hydrangeas, periwinkles, ang little white flowers) and arranged them all around the wreath. The blues are the same blues that I suggested for the inlwas' cottage, and my MIL was all teary eyed about it. It was sweet.

My second fave to give was the necklace I got my mother. A pendant, really, that says "grandma", and there's a loop with some gold beads - I bought the kids' birthstones, that are clasped in a little boy/girl shaped gold figurine-type thing, to thread onto the loop of the pendant... I'd have to take a picture to explain it better. All together, it cost me about 100$ for the pendant and the 3 charms. She was really really really surprised, and put it on right away.

CantWait replied: My favourite was the bake goods for my family, especially for my brother, but I barely got a thank you from him which really upset me.

Also the digital photo album I got for my grandma. It turned out great.

coasterqueen replied: Oddly enough it was the jumper cables for my father. He was suprisingly excited when he opened them because he forgot about asking for them and really wanted them. He was impressed I picked out a really good pair of them. Who knew there are different qualities of jumper cables til I went looking.

mom2my2cuties replied: My favorite would be the picture and frame I gave Andrew with a picture of the kids together in it.

Then it would be the Darth Vader Voice Changer that we got Mikee.

Crystalina replied: I like the way you think Tara. I prefer to give gifts. I feel awkward taking a gift from anyone.

I think the gift that I really loved giving was Izabella Dance With Me Genevieve Barbie. The doll is annoying and doesn't follow directions very well but Izabella doesn't really care.

Also giving Evan his pocket watch. He gave his Pap a pocket watch with a train on it (Evan loves trains) and Santa brought him the exact same one. He was just in awe of it and was so happy to get it and now he looks like an old man walking around the house always checking his pocket watch.

moped replied: My sisters gift - we don't buy for each toher but I know what she likes - I jsut sent her little things and one was a OPI nailpolish gift set - she LOVED it!!!! I was thrilled. Oh and my mom, I got her an easel and canvas and paints etc - he nearly died!

PrairieMom replied:
That is to funny. Who would think that jumper cables would make someone's day?

PrairieMom replied:
What did they look like? do you have a pic?

My3LilMonkeys replied:
No, stupid me forgot to take pics...

They were actually really simple (and cheap!). Plain glass balls with silver garland inside and Christmas shapes (candy canes, presents, wreaths, holly) made out of little gems stuck on the outside. I put 2 shapes on each (one on each side). I think it cost me about $9.00 and 3 hours to do 12 of them and everyone was thrilled.

coasterqueen replied:
Yeah, who woulda thought it? His eyes lit up when he got them. He can be funny some times.

mom21kid2dogs replied: The best thing I gave were the things I made for other people. I made 3 12X12 framed scrapbook pages~one for my best friend, one for her son (to celebrate his senior football season) and one for my sister. Nick hugged me (very unusual for my now 18 yr old "son") and has sent me an email thanking me. Both my friend & my sister cried. Loved it!!! I made one of those tied blankets for Olivia and she carries that thing everywhere! You'd think she was 2 but she loved it!! Too funny!!

3_call_me_mama replied: We got the inlaws each a photo sculpture of a family picture that we had taken with them the weekend after thanksgiving. They LOVED them! Also teh claendar I had made for DH of the kids.. one photo for each month !

jcc64 replied: We gave my 14 yo ds a bass- and he was utterly shocked. He had absolutely no clue- and believe me, it's hard to impress a jaded teen ager, but we did!
And I agree, Tara, it is better to give than receive. My kids went out and shopped for dh, myself and my mom. They bought my mom personalized dog ornaments for her Christmas tree, and she cried. I think this is one of the first times they experienced Christmas from the giving angle, and they clearly got a lot out of it.

PrairieMom replied:
Its a hard lesson to learn I think. esp when they are this young.
I;m the type that is actually uncomfortable receiving gifts.

Ellie replied: I gave my sisters butterfly Tiffany necklaces.

Our grandmother passed away recently and butterflies were her "thing"

My sisters LOVED them.

redchief replied: My favorite gift was the ring I gave Lisa. It was long overdue.

luvmykids replied: My favorite gift to give this year was actually everyone's .... I felt like I really "nailed" it with everybody, kwim? I love it when I find the perfect gifts for the people I love