I have started! Ordered a t-shirt (really a hockey sweater) quilt for my daughter to be made from her old sweaters by Project Repat. Now all I have to do is cut up the jerseys and mail them in.
One down, many more to go…
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I started last month. There is a big art show in my town and I always start my shopping there. My D has started collecting artwork for her apartment so we picked up some prints for her.
I have a few things for my daughter already. Got this year’s bon Mammon advent calendar (Amazon has it).
I sent the Bonne Maman advent calendar to my D and her roomies. 
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Ugh, I hated to see this thread already (no offense to the OP - it’s simply just me not loving the whole holiday game!) - and then I prompted clicked to Amazon and bought one of the Bonne Maman advent calendars! I’ll actually give it to my daughter who has a November birthday. I have always given her one gift for her birthday that was holiday related kind of as a bonus gift - especially as she was starting out on her own - a door wreath, a holiday candle, a lighted snowman, etc. Now she has plenty of decor including Hannukah decor since she and her BF celebrate both holidays - but this will be a fun way to keep that tradition! (also I’m thinking maybe they will recycle the little jars for spices and such!
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Ya’ll have gotten me thinking about advent calendars now too ; )
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Our son is in Qatar for the next five months, so this deployment and the pandemic years make this the third holiday season without him. I find no joy in the holidays when he’s not there, so DH and I decided last year that we would skip any Christmases where we couldn’t be with him and do something else. We don’t exchange presents beyond the three of us anyway and, since our son graduated from HS, we’ve only exchanged presents with him as DH and I don’t need or want anything. I know this is not the spirit of this thread but, like @abasket, I hate to see reminders of holidays that are months away, especially this one.
So, carry on and merry Christmas all. Putting this thread on mute and moving on to other conversations.
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Can you put threads on mute?
Have a pit in my stomach just thinking of Christmas. I guess I got 9 months not to dread it.
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Yes - under the thread controls box there is another - you can change how you are watching a thread, including “mute”
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Thank you! I’ve bought this for the past three years and hadn’t checked to see if it was in stock yet. I just ordered it.
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Last year someone shared this link to personalized advent calendars. I’ve never done it but bookmarked the site to try this year.
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I have freed myself from holiday shopping. I only gift experiences at this point. Those are easy to shop for.
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Semi-struggling here. H (and his family) is huge on Xmas and gift giving. H always had to buy something for everyone. I think at one time we shopped for 45 people. Over the years, that has thankfully been whittled down to just our kids, and lately the GFs, and food baskets for our parents and my 1 aunt. We do a lot for the kids still - a big item, and lots of things like clothes, books, odd little things, etc. Santa always comes to our house and always will when they are there. I love Xmas and don’t mind spending on my kids. I just don’t like having to buy something for everyone
But this year, we are going to Vienna/Austria for Xmas and taking the GFs. I told the kids and H that this was xmas. There weren’t going to be any gifts. H said OK. Kids definitely were OK, and secretly I planned to give them $100 or so to go shopping with while there. But now, H insists that everyone have SOMETHING to unwrap on Xmas day. Sigh. I told him I wasn’t going to take up valuable suitcase space with gifts, but he insists it can be small - but no gift cards…
So that will be the challenge. Something relatively small/cheap/equal,but also hopefully meaingful for 2 boys & 2 girls (20-24). Buying something there while at the Xmas markets is also a possibility.
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I think getting ornaments while there would be nice. A xmas gift and a souvenir all in one.
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That is definitely a possiblity. I collect ornaments from every trip. We get at least ornaments for the kids every year, and always a picture one. But I’ll make that one once we are back.
but we also arrive jetlagged on Dec. 23rd. Most of our trip will be after Xmas. We leave on Dec. 31. I’m sure we can get to a market beforehand, but most of our trip will be afterwards…
Austria invented the snow globe–great souvenier.
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a wallet or hip pack to put that $100 in??? Something like these are very popular with males and females alike (this one may be a little pricey but you get the idea…)
https://baggu.com/products/fanny-pack-turmeric?currency=USD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&cmp_id=17395417349&adg_id=&kwd=&device=c&gclid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhKfyNyzNpPMTxPJ4HrjM2h6mtiIQcvZ4U0Uo6jBgiWkjt1cm7Vo1hRoCguYQAvD_BwE
Or this wallet for guys which is slim and trim
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077CRG9L2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title
Edited to say not only do you have to pack whatever gifts you give them, they have to bring them back in their luggage!
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Not allowed in carry on luggage.
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Boo Hiss.
How about Piatnik Austrian playing cards? Probably easy to find different designs or get ones tailored for austrian game play. From souvenier or toy shop. Shouldn’t cost much or take up room. I got cards in France once with knights on them–pretty cool.
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