Gifts!

What is a gift you are hoping to receive this Christmas???

For one, I hope I receive a good book, and I hope I have the time to sit down, relax and read it. :)

I'm a hard one to buy for or so says my hubby. Why? Because I can never think of anything that I really really want. But one thing I would like to have is one of those really thick terry bath robes. In white. Monogrammed.:yes:

For the first time in a very, very long time.....I have everything I need......I am happy. I have someone who cares for me, I have fantastic kids......my health, and I have finally succeeded in losing the weight that has made me miserable for years. I feel more content than I ever have-what a gift that is!
I have asked for some new workout clothes, as my old ones are 3-4 sizes too big and look awful on me. (I have actually been buying things on clearance for the boys to wrap up for me)
When my son asked me what I wanted, and I told him nothing-he got upset! He said "mom, you know that you will things under the tree for you Christmas morning-you always have said that Santa is any person that cares enough to make sure you have a gift Christmas morning". I guess I have succeeded in raising sons who see the big picture....they will make sure that I have a few things (besides work out clothes) that have special meaning for me.

My gift is a gift I'm giving myself -- a 2 week vacation from work from Dec 17th through the 28th. :ohyes:

OOhh Kat....can I come?
I just want to feel good and at peace.
Can't think of anything I really need at all.....I'll keep trying though lol!

well I wish I could be with Kai for christmas but wont be till may to july...SO it will have to be a dvd player or a ps2 one of those I do not care

I'm such a tomboy. :blush:

I've been eyeballing an indoor helicopter for some time so for Xmas I'm getting Air Hogs Laser Helis. (I love RC planes/helicopters!)

It's 2 indoor helicopters that you can laser duel each other and if you tag your opponent it throws their heli into a tailspin.

We split the cost and it's our gift to each other. I shall kill his little heli. Over and over and over and over again... :bgrin2:

Well, I kind of got my present already because I ordered a new coat & told Jeremy that was fine. Now - it's not just ANY coat - it's a full length Tissavel sable (that's French faux fur). It should be here on Friday! It's something that I always wanted since I got my first Tissavel jacket 20-some years ago.

So, Jeremy is saying he still wants to get me something, so I hope he gets me the CZ hoop earrings I like.

I really have more fun giving though. So my wish is that everyone likes what I got them!

I still have to go pick up Jeremy's. He's clueless as to what I could possibly be getting him because he thinks he doesn't want anything we can afford, LOL. But I listen to him & know he wants to learn the guitar. So I'm getting him one and my mom got him a lesson DVD! I can't wait to give it to him!!

And the boys are getting a Wii (had to buy on eBay because they are impossible to find so they don't think they are getting it) and Guitar Hero III plus some smaller stuff.

Cool Kristen!
I got Myan a violin....she already plays guitar (like my daddy) and the clarinet.
Her bff's boyfriend Robbie plays several instruments and is wonderful on the violin and has promised Myan lessons.

I'm such a tomboy. :blush:

I've been eyeballing an indoor helicopter for some time so for Xmas I'm getting Air Hogs Laser Helis. (I love RC planes/helicopters!)

It's 2 indoor helicopters that you can laser duel each other and if you tag your opponent it throws their heli into a tailspin.

We split the cost and it's our gift to each other. I shall kill his little heli. Over and over and over and over again... :bgrin2:

lol.

One of Donna's brothers has a bunch of helicopters and planes and stuff. We were messing with them over thanksgiving, and I'm sure there'll be one buzzing around our house over new year.

But I listen to him & know he wants to learn the guitar. So I'm getting him one and my mom got him a lesson DVD! I can't wait to give it to him!!


Cool. I want a guitar now! I had to sell mine when I moved here. Donna has one, and she found one at a yard sale for $10 that I've been using. But I want a good one. It'd be about $3-400 though, because I'd have to have a good one, so no chance for now. :(

The other thing I want is a hat with flaps for my ears because it's too cold for me even now! Oh, and Zelda for the Wii. :)

Rob.....my dad had quite the collection of guitars.
His favorite, and mine, is his beautiful old Martin....I hear they are worth a fortune but to me this one is priceless.
I almost bought that helicopter as our family xmas present this year but went for the Duck Shoot game instead.

What should I expect to pay for a decent guitar? He's no pro, but I want him to have something nice & not flimsy or cheap. But I don't want to go overboard either!

Really....you can get a nice accustic for less than $200.00.....check out pawn shops and music stores.
Many people "upgrade" so there are always great used ones that look brand new!

Rob.....my dad had quite the collection of guitars.
His favorite, and mine, is his beautiful old Martin....I hear they are worth a fortune but to me this one is pricless.
I almost bought that helicopter as our family xmas present this year but went for the Duck Shoot game instead.

That's what I want, a Martin! A good one of them would be anything up to $1000.

What should I expect to pay for a decent guitar? He's no pro, but I want him to have something nice & not flimsy or cheap. But I don't want to go overboard either!

To be honest Kristin, I don't know how much they would cost over here. I've only really looked at more expensive ones because that's what I'm interested in getting. You could probably walk into a music store, pick up a starter kit and the guitar would be absolutely fine, it's just that I really like the more expensive ones because they play better.

If you're going for an electric, a Fender is a good start. A basic one, telecaster or Stratocaster. Even those particular brands can be more expensive.

Donna has had a Guild acoustic for years and years.

Guild's are good guitars!
Yep Rob....my dad's Martin is insured for about $30,000.00....believe it or not :eek:
He used to play with the Mcgiure Sisters (sp?) back in the day and played almost every casino in Vegas and, way back when, in Cuba.
I miss him :(

Thanks for the info!

Tiny, your dad sounds really cool! :yes:

My dad was a drummer in a rock band in the 60's. He was really good, too. He couldn't keep it up as he got weaker and sold them a few years ago. His band used to have a reunion every 10 years or so until they started dying off. I think there's only one left - my dad's best friend, Tony. I think of dad EVERY time I see a drummer. I miss my dad too! :(

Yeah, he was a very quiet man and at his best when he was playing.....which he did every day from his recliner up until the last month of his life.
I WISH he liked rock music lol....he called most of the music I loved "the 3 cord wonders" lol!
He did like Alvin Lee from Ten Years After though.....and came to enjoy Jimmy Hendrix , Eric Clapton, and Pete Townsen!

You both have cool dads. Unfortunately, mine only ever played the recorder... at school. :rolleyes:

Kristin - I found a website with some guitars to give you an idea.

Acoustic guitars between $1-200 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/acoustic-guitars?N=100001+304276+8

Electric guitars http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/solid-body-electric-guitars?N=100001+306241+8


All the Guild ones I could find are quite expensive. And I made a mistake saying Fender guitars would be good... what I meant is that Squier guitars, modelled on Fenders, are good starter guitars.

These are what I mean:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Affinity-Series-Fat-Strat-Electric-Guitar?sku=510629

My friend had one and it was very playable. In the UK you can get them as 'starter kits', or at least you could!

Thanks Rob!!

I have an electric acoustic guitar and my fiance has an electric guitar. The range we shopped for beginner guitars was 200-400.

I'd avoid buying used because of an experience I had. I purchased my first acoustic guitar for $ 150.00 and I thought I got a beautiful guitar...until I started taking lessons. :(

Found out the neck of guitar was mildly warped and soon the reason why...it had been broke and they repaired it. An untrained eye wouldn't catch this, because they did a fantastic repair job, but a trained eye would.

The guitar could never be completely tuned, it was always very slightly off, and because of that I would never buy a guitar used unless I knew what I was looking at.

I don't think the guitar shop tried to rip me off, it might have been fixed already when they got it. But I would never set myself up for that again, and I've been playing for about 7 years now. Still don't know enough to catch the mild things that can affect a guitar's sound quality, so if I ever replaced my current guitar I'd stick with new.

So not to change the subject from guitars, but the only thing I really want for Christmas is for Chris to get a job in Seattle so we can be together.

Barring that, I'm getting a tail light for my truck:rolleyes: Installed and everything!!! My honey is so romantic!

I dont know what I want for Christmas, Ive never been one of those people that had their heart set on something and just had to have it. Clint is just about ready to throw raw eggs at me he is so frustrated with trying to get me to say that I want SOMETHING< ANYTHING. lol

I asked him to select 1 nightgown that he could fantasize me in. It better be good because if he buys me flannel...He will so be sleeping aloneeeeee. lol Other than that I told him to buy me what he wants.

I've been so busy making sure I have everything for everybody else I haven't even given much thought to what I'd like...hmmmm, um, some new slippers would be nice, mine have finally reached critical mass and the soles have fallen off...I'm cheap, I just duct taped 'em back on...(hey, as long as they keep your feet warm and dry, who cares what they look like?? but they ARE getting kinda worn out...)

I want my daddy !!! And my daddy is coming all the way from California to spend Christmas with us :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

ps: he is 92 years-old

Aline....how wonderful!
That is the best present of all!

I want my daddy !!! And my daddy is coming all the way from California to spend Christmas with us :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

ps: he is 92 years-old

Fantastic! I was made up when my grandad made it over here for the wedding because the flight must have been a bit rough for him.

I want a totebag from Lands End with my new monogram on it!!! :D

NRA

LOL!!! :D

I asked for a bunch of little stuff for xmas. A sweater...a few books...stuff like that.

What I'm really looking forward to is going home at the end of January and seeing my family!!! :D With Alec this year!!!! :D I can't wait to show him where I grew up!!!

Nadine.

I got kind of disgusted with the whole consumer thing while I was at the mall earlier and called my mom and my brother and told them not to get me anything and that I was going to donate to Heifer International (www.heifer.org) in their names. It's an organization that provides farm animals and sustainable agriculture education to people in developing countries so they can become more self-sufficient and make more responsible decisions for themselves and their land.

I think my brother is going to donate to John Edwards' campaign for me, and my mom said she would donate to the Humane Society (and she's also paying for my flight home). That's better than just about anything else I can think of.

Heifer International is an awesome organization. A woman in my Rotary Club is heavily involved in it and got us involved.

Who would think a goat or a pig would change so many lives?

I snuck a peak at one of my gifts the other night a new ipod touch...I'm so excited usually my mom isn't good at picking stuff out like that so I know she got some help from my cousin...and I see a lot of other boxes under my tree right now :D


(By the way I did get caught snooping at the ipod) :eek:

If you like Heifer International, please also check out Kiva.org. It's a micro loan program that started in Uganda. You get to pick projects in African (and now other) nations that you would like to fund and you contribute directly to the project you like. You lend to a specific entrepreneur and you get to track their progress...

Nobody has *ever* defaulted on the loans (well, I said that and I looked... there are 2 people with late payments), and some of the projects are downright cool. I particularly enjoy one woman who makes peanut butter, but there are also folks who are starting grocery stores, brick making, natural medicine, all kinds of good stuff!

I hope my gift is a healthy, happy baby boy...:o

OMG I hope he comes waaay before Christmas!! LOL! :p

If you like Heifer International, please also check out Kiva.org. It's a micro loan program that started in Uganda. You get to pick projects in African nations that you would like to fund and you contribute directly to the project you like. You lend to a specific entrepreneur and you get to track their progress...

Nobody has *ever* defaulted on the loans, and some of the projects are downright cool. I particularly enjoy one woman who makes peanut butter, but there are also folks who are starting grocery stores, brick making, natural medicine, all kinds of good stuff!

I worked for the Heifer Project in Connecticut many summers ago. It's a truly wonderful organization and I really hope to work with them again...I would love to do something in Egypt. I am trying to think of a non-profit organization that I can create which will teach people in Egypt the value of taking care of an animal instead of constantly having to replace it because it dies. In Egypt many people still use donkeys as work animals and transportation..not to mention the camels and horses at the pyramids (*sob*)...usually these animals have horrible lives and are thrown in a canal when they die but I truly believe this only b/c the people who own them are so, so ignorant that they don't understand the huge mistake they are making. As my husband says "you have to teach them that THEY have a soul before they can learn their donkey does too.."