on the tap shoes, 
on the pants!!!
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I did something new this year that I plan on doing from now on. My kids are mid-twenties. They don’t really ask for much at Christmas. Their list has items I consider “practical stuff”…Bombas, books, fleece lined pants for dog-walking, etc. That’s great but I wanted to try and make things a little “funner”.
So besides their usual presents I took a few old Amazon gift bags and placed two different items in them. Anyway I was honest with them and said their aunt gave me some things she received but didn’t want or couldn’t use. They had to stick their hand in the bag and claim their gift. For instance one bag had two different bags of unusual flavored KitKats from an ethnic store in them. (Pudding and mint). We got a good laugh and the feeling was reminiscent of white elephant exchanges with all the cousins when they were late HS/college-aged.
Other hits included another new tradition I’m going to do. Over Thanksgiving weekend the kids always help put up our Christmas tree. They really enjoy the nostalgia from ornaments they made in grade school (like the one with a photo of their younger selves inside a wreath made of green painted puzzle pieces…gold star to the teacher who did that activity) to the ornaments we bought on all our vacations. Last year I got them each a cute Mandalorian ornament of baby Yoda. This year I bought the Hallmark hot chocolate and marshmallow (better together) ornaments along with a couple of hot chocolate bombs for them and their respective significant other. They’re so cute I waited until others in the collection dropped in price and will gift them in the future…avocado toast cracks me up…and yes they’ll get an avocado or guac with that one.
Now usually I try to be fair so often buy two of the same item, wrap them and have them open them at the same time….which is also kind of fun. Not sure if this gift will prove as good as my expectation, but time will tell. I bought some mason jars and gifted each kid a “set” that I created. I included a roll of green Frog (painters) tape along with a black Sharpie for labeling. I know they are health conscious and I thought it might help with meal prep. (I’ve FaceTimed with DD and caught her prepping veggies for quinoa bowls/salads on a Sunday and it gave me the idea.)
As for my favorite gift I received, it has to be the Aura frame from DS…which was a complete surprise. It sits on the end table at my end of the couch. I love seeing photos of my family! The ability to have everyone contribute to the rotation is a fun bonus…especially with my kids living in their own apartments…company Christmas party pic, bam(!), an easy share. Love it! Great way to stay connected.
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Hit: my fuschia Ugg Slippers! I picked them out, I ordered them, I handed the box to my husband saying “Here, this is my Christmas present” . . . (and I love them!!)
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Neighbor got us an Ugg throw that is sized for a couch. So so soft and warm. The cat loves it best; kneads it constantly.
Still buying huge Lego sets for the kids. They will never tire of these.
My daughter loves the Subpar Parks calendar that I buy her every year; this year the artist also did a jigsaw puzzle which was a big hit. Highly recommend checking out Subpar Parks on insta - she takes the crappy/stupid reviews of national parks on TripAdvisor (“subpar” was the first, I think?) and makes posters out of them.
It’s also my birthday this week and I have been gifted tix to Jagged Little Pill in Philly. We saw it on Broadway and now I’m taking the kids; cannot wait.
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We never got into making Christmas lists, since the kids were already bombarded with lovely gifts from adoring relatives. Our winter splurge was skiing, and I’m glad we have those memories. (Though not sure we could do it now with pricey tickets. In the early days of 4pack ski tickets they were only $60 for 4 days of skiing, shareable paper tickets! - Copper, Eldora… other great deals too).
Best hit here. A neighbor put together a calendar using pictures from all of our 2022 neighborhood events. So much fun…and definitely a hit.
We have great neighbors and a great neighborhood, and we do lots of things. Holiday parties, plus a Friday night happy hour whenever it’s warm enough. And lots of pot luck meals, etc.
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Our daughters have made a calendar for us for the past couple of years. Younger D does a great job of photoshopping some of the photos. This year’s is a winner. One old picture of the girls “flying in 0 gravity” from a trip to Kennedy space center 20+ years ago with added cats and dogs is a laugh and a half.
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Steakhouse Holiday cooking class with the local Cook’s Warehouse was a hit with my son and husband. It was hands on and a fun group, they say. They are both foodies, it worked well for both.
I like giving memberships to family members - Zoo for my lil nephew and “Book of the Month” subscription to my niece, hate that Powell’s discontinued their Book Club, it was the best, would give that if it was still available! DragonCon passes were a hit too! Last year kids gave my husband National Parks pass from REI - we got a lot of mileage out of that thing in one year, it was glorious!
Tickets and memberships are big in our household. Everything else is just “stuff”, but some of it is nice too.
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Hit: Poison Pen Bookstore’s Book of the Month (mystery books from Poison Pen Bookstore). Both H and I are fans of this genre.
Miss: Butter board. I never heard of it, but it’s a very large hardwood cutting board on which you spread a thin layer of butter and then add toppings. It’s like a dip? People then use crackers to scoop up the butter and toppings. It doesn’t do anything for me or H. We’ll probably use it for serving cheese.
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I know what a butter board is in terms of an eating item but didn’t know there were SPECIFIC boards to display a butter board on? Designed for butter boarding? I just thought people used a wooden board of any type.
I love butter and haven’t had indulged in a butter board dip but I would think what would make it delicious would be how you season/dress the butter. Spices, herbs, and such to enhance the butter flavor with the crudités.
I never heard of a butter board until I got the gift. This one is a very long hardwood cutting board (much larger than the average cutting board–probably 18-24 inches) and it has a curved handle. I can definitely use it to serve cheese and it could be a charcuterie board too. I love butter, but smearing butter on the wood and adding stuff, just doesn’t do anything for me. I guess I should try it before I make a judgment.
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I Googled butter board after I received the gift and found this. I thought it was a good explanation. What Is Going On with the Butter Board Trend? - Thrillist
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I realize I am an outlier but I don’t even understand the elaborate charcuterie craze! Especially in light of all the germs floating around with covid, flu, etc. I’m not even a germ freak, generally speaking, but not a fan of large amounts of finger food that is laid out in such a way that people are touching, lingering and breathing all over it. Not a big deal with my immediate family, but a larger gathering? Eww.
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Not to mention those olives touching the good food. Yuck.
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The surprising hit? I got everyone titanium camping utensils to use at food trucks, in the office, etc. so they’d have a green alternative to disposable cutlery. Such excitement. It’d make you think they’d been eating with their hands.til now!
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I would be grossed out too by people touching finger foods with their hands too. Luckily they make mini tongs, which are a couple of bucks each. They work great for charcuterie boards. I bought a half dozen when I hosted my daughter’s engagement party and since then I find that I am using them for a lot of things.
I’m out on the butter boards (although I do like butter).
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The pronunciation is wrong though–should be tuh-ree not thur-ee.
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If anyone is looking for a good reasonable frothier (that is not a handheld one), I bought myself as a post-Christmas gift this one and gosh, it makes great froth!!! It’s quiet, warms the milk (I’m using whole milk) and is easy to clean in the sink.
Milk Frother, Paris Rhône 4-in-1 Electric Coffee Frother, Non-Slip Stylish Design, Hot & Cold Milk Steamer with Temperature Control, Auto Shut-Off for Latte, Cappuccino, Macchiato https://a.co/d/72ulkqe
I considered getting a Nespresso but felt it was overkill for me and I think I’d anguish over buying the pricy capsules. So this is a nice compromise - I use my own coffee in my automatic pour over maker and then add this delicious thick froth!
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So the big hit this year in our house is admittedly a niche present, but it was the best surprise present I have received in ages: a fossilized wooly mammoth tooth!
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No appropriate emoji for that!
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