Christmas Presents!

Didn't see a thread on this yet ... but I kind of want to start shopping early this year. I really would prefer to do most of my shopping online.

I always hit a blank though. I love giving personal unique-type gifts, not just something store bought if I don't have to. But store bought isn't out of the question at all, just like to give something they're really actually going to USE or like.

If we could swap back and forth some ideas, some hot gifts this year, etc?

The most important people:

- Dad ... loves motorcycles (but no longer has one), he's really into 'prepping' for things (storms and zombie apocalypses and the like :) so he has a new big solar power panel thingy going on in our garage that he's always working on, has a few new guns, he has an RV, owns an alarm company, when he's not working in the garage on his solar/etc stuff, he's usually watching movies on his iPad.

Mom - she is very much into beauty products, clothes, make-up, her looks, etc. She owns a salon so can't really get her gift certs to that kind of thing since she gets it for free. She honestly doesn't really have any 'hobbies' per say. I typically end up getting her nice candles, pictures in frames, and things of the like, so if there's anything similar that goes a step beyond you could recommend, that'd be cool.

Young siblings ... almost 9year old brother and almost 5 year old sister. My sis is easy, she loves Barbies and anything girly and fun. My bro is at the age where he's kind of over 'toys' but he's pretty much already got everything techy (iphone, DS, xbox, laptop, the works).

I was planning on having a looksy around Etsy. But any suggestions would be great!

im making my own lotions, soaps, jams, butter, pancakes/biscuits/cinnamon bread in a jar. Pairing them together.

Then the kids are getting hand made hobby horses, a fort kit, shaped crayons, hand painted box of princesses and villans, handmade A frame tent, and marshmallow guns.

I'm no help! My parents are getting to see me for Christmas ($1300 worth of plane tickets sounded like enough of a gift to me)...I think I will throw in a starbucks card or a manicure for my mom and I to enjoy while I'm home. My dad is hopeless--he doesn't like "stuff", so no gifts for him is fine.

My sister I think I'm going to give teaching books to, since she's applying to grad school to be a social studies teacher. I'm slightly paranoid that she will not get in and then the gift will be a downer, but hopefully that doesn't happen!

Zach's brother and his girlfriend are going to get a "date night" box--movie tickets, a restaurant gift card, ice cream coupons, etc.

Grandparents will get invitations to come to our house for dinner

No idea what to give Zach's parents. I always tell him he's in charge of that, and then I always end up running around at the last minute to buy something when he says he has no idea what to give them.

He's 9 and "over" toys??? Jeez kids grow up fast...most 9 year olds I know are still into action figures, games, and toys like science-y kits, "boy" crafts, etc.

My list to shop for:
Mom
Dad
Brother - 18
Aunt
1 Friend
2 kids for Winter Wishes - still don't know age/gender/interests.

and then people to just give smaller gifts to, maybe cookies/jams/sauces or whatever, ex-boss, ex's family, clients, doctor, etc.

Don't have to worry about my family, it's a pain to get stuff to France so we usually don't (although my mom sends me money).

I'm clueless about what we're doing for hubby's family this year. It will depend on who we're actually going to see too (they're all over the US). Usually we just do family gifts.

LOL, yeah, he's something else. He's mature for his age in a lot of ways, always has been. It's not that he wouldn't enjoy some toys... but definitely doesn't have anything to do wit action figures or things of the like. He will play board games with us but tires of them quickly. He has gotten back into playing with his old Matchbox Cars again which is a 'new' thing. Last year I got him one of those remote controlled sharks and it was fun for all of, like, a week... LOL, so yeah I just don't want my gift to go to waste.

You are talented! I wish I could do that kind of stuff...

Maybe I'll do something like that for my mom, buy some nice lotions, soaps, and such and put them together in a cute way.

Its not hard I can help you

Can you boil water?

I'd love to do soaps... I guess I'd be worried it wouldn't work as well as commercial soap or something when it comes to getting rid of germs lol.

blah cant find the link.

It depends usually, but I love shopping at Pier 1 Imports for Christmas presents lol. I also love making candles so I usually gift candles too

Last year for the extended family, I did those mason jar cookie/cocoa mixes. This year, I'm planning on doing family calendars. Of course, those are generally the extended family's gifts - not for the immediate family.

I don't have any advice for the younger brother, but last year for my parents, my siblings and I put together a re-creation of the menu from one of their first dates and told them that they could pick a date/time and we'd make them a nice 4 course meal. I think they really appreciated it. This year, we're thinking about getting (or making) a wooden wall plaque with the family name for the new house that they bought.

My brother is always a pain to shop for as well. He's in his upper teens though, so a different age group, but inevitably, has often ended up with candy and gift cards from me. They're appreciated, if nothing else. If the 9 year old is into video games, maybe a gift card to Game Stop or a similar place would be appreciated (does Game Stop even exist anymore?!).

For a nine year old I'd probably go with some kind of science/craft kit or something. Trendy toys like pokemon/beyblade/whatever I don't mind, especially if they use their imagination or play with friends, but usually I'll end up getting the kid a little token something from that (small pack of cards, one small toy) and then try to find like - a nice microscope at a garage sale, or a tech-y build-an-alarm-robot-for-your-room kinda things.

If I ever get a kid a video game it has to be like a REALLY interactive, multiplayer, not-mindless-zombie-killing game.

I do portraits of everyone's pets. Frame them and that is what they get for Christmas. Or I will commission artistic pieces of the dogs for them. Last year I did a scrapbook for my dad of his dog. It took awhile but he loved it. This year for him, I am commissioning a custom portrait of his dog with his previous 2 dogs in the clouds above along with my grandma, his mom. It should be awesome.

I buy kids books. That's really pretty much it. Lol. I actually have four presents bought already. I've been shopping sales so that I don't hit two weeks before xmas and go through the "I don't have any presents!!!!1!" flail.

The moms (Matt's and mine) - lotion, body scrub, and mask stuff from the body shop. I'll probably also make them a couple of knitted washcloths and maybe find some candles.
The sisters - I got necklaces for both of them. I may give my sister her necklace early (since I forgot to send her a birthday present whoops) and get her a custom bracelet from Spiffing Jewelry instead. I have one from there and LOVE it.

So far I've saved about $260 and spent $100. I am kind of in love with shopping early now. Lol.