Smart move - I would use ours all the time but H had to buy this humongous gas powered beast and I can never get it started myself!
Thanks! I love plug and play things. 3000 psi - moss, beware!
Thanks @ClassicMom98 and others who mentioned the NY Times birthday book. Weāve now ordered one for a relative who will be turning 100 in a couple of months. Sheās one of those people that are impossible to shop for, and this seems like a great way to mark the milestone.
Iām glad. Like all gifts, you have to know your audience. Something like this would be much better for me, than jewelry, wine/beer, or even a fruit basket, lol.
Per birthday books, love the idea. But I also think it would be fun if the had an alternate version cover that said āThe Year You Graduated High Schoolā. Those would be vivid memories, fun for a reunion or birthday reminiscing.
So far Iāve bought my ārefuses to ever give gift ideasā (and then silently judges what I get him) 21 yr old son the Humans of NY book (on sale on Amazon over the weekend) since Iāve seen him like their posts on Instagram, a car vacuum since his car is a mess, and a heat wrap neck thing since he likes to exercise. My 24 yr old son visits friends a lot and was taking one of our old air mattresses and a battery operated pump that takes forever to use to sleep on at their apartments, but said recently one friend had a nice air mattress with an internal pump. I found a nice one of those at Samās Club he can use when visiting or hosting others. My 3rd son is super busy with college classes and grad school applications but will have good suggestions eventually so Iāll do his shopping last minute. Got my husband an autographed book about archeology and a plastic greenhouse thing. Extended distant family will probably be sent holiday flower arrangements. I cycle that in every few years alternating with food or household gifts.
I mentioned this before, but I gave my kids each an inexpensive black duffle bag that could accommodate gift wrapping stuff. I filled it with an assortment of wrapping paper, a few gift bags, some tissue paper and a gallon ziplock with some ribbon, tape, gift tags and a pair of scissors.
I like Innisbrook paper from my kidsā elementary school fundraising days.
Does anyone else say to the kids - āNext year we are not doing so many gifts,ā just to do as many or more gifts the next year?
Our oldest, now 30, gets so excited Christmas morning. For better or worse, she wakes up the entire house by about 7, and then we do coffee and presents (usually followed by her napping - NOT FAIR).
This year I really thought Iād do better, but I have many presents again. I am happy that almost all are relatively practical or consumable, and I think he recipients will be happy with what weāve purchased.
So after buying my son and dil presents, my son called asking that we not give them anything. We can buy gifts for the baby (he knew that telling us no to the baby was futile) but the kids are overwhelmed and donāt want or need anything.
Not sure if Iāll give them the gifts Iāve already bought or return them and respect their wishes.
itās difficult because those kids have So. Much. Stuff! Their house is overflowing!
I try to buy one nice present but my dilās mom will buy a lot of stuff. I wonder if they told her no also.
I swear I struggle every year. My kids are hard!
@deb922 we have one kid who is a minimalist. He prefers things he doesnāt need to storeā¦or keep. So we get him consumable things. This year, he is getting coffee from a local to us roaster, granola from a local to us place (he got that before and loved it), a tin of cookies, a gift card to Lowes. Iām looking for a few other consumable things to ship to him. He really likes these things.
Could you give them the something like a membership to their local zoo or aquarium? Or some sort of āexperienceā that wonāt add to the overflow? We received a local zoo membership when my son was younger and it was great. Last year I bought my niece and her family tickets to a whale watch near them (her kids are a bit older).
Just throwing out some ideas! It stinks when you have already shopped!
@Peach94 thanks for the reminder! Iām also getting the kid a membership to a museum near himā¦but it also gives access to a lot of other museums as well.
Funny- I have a family gift membership to the zoo in a basket waiting to hear if my s and DIL already have one.
Maybe, if you can return the gifts, do so, and then gift them the money as a āgiftā for the baby? (For college savings or books or however they wish to use it?)
Then you still have given them something from your heart and it doesnāt take up āspaceā or overwhelm them.
Just a thought.
Would they like to join the Bag A Week thread??!
I guess itās a good problem to have - to have the means to have all the stuff!
If they really took the time to mention it and if they used the word āoverwhelmedā so to speak, I think Iād honor their request - I personally get that not good feeling when you feel things are bursting at the seams - it really sets me off!
I do think their request probably relates to physical items? I like the idea of a family gift membership or a gift card for a fun one-night get away (baby will be a little easier to travel with perhaps in 2023!) - a hotel gift card, AIRBNB, or a gift card from their state parks if they have parks with nice lodging facilities.
A gift card to a local restaurant , coffee shop, brewery, etc. could also be sn option for someone who specifically doesnāt want more āstuff.ā
Those kids have memberships to the zoo and botanical gardens. Iāve given restaurant and experience gift cards, theyāve gone unused. I once did give a magazine subscription, no idea if itās been read or not but it will be sent unless they say to stop.
This is an ongoing thing.
I mean itās supposed to be about giving not receiving, right?
Sometimes I feel itās about not buying us gifts.
We donāt want a bunch of gifts either.
I can understand your frustration. Sounds like this is an ongoing thing.
Buy something you love for your granddaughter and leave it at that!
Sometimes the holidays are an obstacle course of emotions and decisionsā¦
@deb922 maybe they know you will understandā¦because it sounds like the other grandparents send a pile of things!