Well, I guess it’s time to go ahead and bring this up.
Kevin is still unemployed. And I figure we all have financial pressures, and besides that, we’re all grown up and don’t need anything. Well, nothing small, anyway.
So – what would the group like to do?
Personally, I’m somewhat inclined to cancel the gift exchange between the grown ups. (I first typed Adult Gift Exchange, but that came out wrong)
I have a more rigid budget than usual this year, and I’d rather spend it all on the kids. Well, sure, I can find things for everyone in the $20-$30 range … but then that’s $80 (at least) that could have gotten the kids something fun. Or $40 a child. The gift I’d really like to get Aleah is in the $60 mark … and I can only afford it, really, if I skip the adults.
So I’d like to skip the adults.
However, that’s not the only option, and if I’m the only one who opts out of gifts then I’ll feel utterly dreadful.
The other option that suggests itself to me is a strict and stringent price cap agreed upon by all. Like, under $15, including shipping. Or under $10. Which would mean that we’d all be exchanging very small items. It could be fun. We’d all have to revamp our wish lists, or make new cheap wish lists. I admit, this idea also has a certain appeal. I could totally go with it.
So … what other options are out there? What would the group like to do?
That’s the problem with growing up. If I like something enough, or actually need it, I just buy the thing.
Now most of the stuff on the ‘want’ list is larger items that are going to replace existing worn-out items. (anybody want to buy us a new TV? ) And that stuff is beyond a christmas wishlist.
So yeah, I’m ok with sticking to the “fun before christmas day’ gift and the ‘affordable single christmas gift’.
more fun getting things for the kids anyway.
Another option would be to draw names. We do that for the Christmas Eve gift exchange; we could do it for the regular gift. Or we could think of the Christmas Eve gift as the regular gift and keep the same rules (name a theme and make it for fun). It’s not so important that it be an “eve” gift now that everyone has their own home. Actually, in Chris’s home, eve is the family gift opening time.
If we decided to exchange small gifts, I kind-of favor the $15 limit or making it $10 not including tax and shipping. So many things are $9.99.
Anyway, we should put it to a vote:
1) No gift exchange among the adults
2) Change the Christmas Eve gift (keeping naming a theme) to the Christmas gift among adults
3) Small gifts (a $10 or $15 limit)
4) Draw names (could set a limit here too i suppose)
I know which one I favor, but I would rather put it to a vote in such a way that there is no record of who voted for what or what the running total is (give us a week to vote?). Chris, i imagine you could set something like that up?
We could always change the decision till we found what fits for us. We could try one thing this year and after Christmas put it to a vote again to see if any of us would change the decision.
ya know, if we’re thinking ’10 buck limit per gift’… well, that would be a budget of ~40-50 bucks. That kind of budget could be used to get something more interesting on a name draw basis. (or it could get multiple smaller things – point is having the option)
For me, I like the idea of doing two name-draw gifts. One is intended to be themed and silly, the other is for adult Christmas.
Talking to Christina, she favors the name draw for both as well.
If we wanted to drop the Eve gift we could, though I do enjoy the tradition.
I like the idea of anonymous voting.
I do want to keep the Christmas Eve tradition. It’s a good release – a fun and pressure free thing to do. At least, that’s what it is for me. I don’t know, maybe it’s Just One More Stupid Thing for the rest of you. But for me, it’s whimsical and it really helps me get into the fun spirit of the season (not the jaded, oh bleck I have to go shopping spirit)
But options 1, 3, and 4 are all acceptable to me.
It sounds like the drawing of names has some support – and Mom, I guess we’re having open voting .. so I’m very curious as to what your clear favorite is.
But for the drawing of names, I would suggest the following caveats –
> this is just for the adults. The kids get gifts; we’re not drawing names for the kids. (thats probably understood)
> the name draw would have a no-spouse rule. I expect spouses would gift each other regardless.
I don’t suppose there needs to be a price cap. I suppose we could agree on a ballpark figure …
hmmmm OK, My favorite is small gifts for everyone, but i do not mind being outvoted. I can certainly see the advantage of drawing names. I haven’t talked to your dad about this. I know that when a price limit is stipulated on Christmas eve he completely ignores it. So if we decided on a price limit for a small gift, he would probably ignore it.
If we went with drawing names, I think it would be good to discuss a price expectation. I would feel bad if i gave a $20 gift if others gave $100 gifts.
I agree that if we draw it is adults only and no spouses. It would be terrible to deprive ourselves of giving presents to Aleah and Donavan.
Oh! I want to keep the Christmas Eve gift. I would not mind making it the Christmas gift, but i would mind dropping it. It is a pain sometimes trying to figure out what to give, especially if the theme is nice and challenging. But once you figure it out, it is fun! Actually, it is fun even when i am trying to figure out what to get and frustrated about it.
As i think about it, i miss the themes like, if he/she was a pet, or what you brought back when you traveled to another planet. If i could rename my gift theme I would go with that kind. Something a pack rat (literal animal) might steal… Something brought back when you time traveled… Harrumph!
Oh! And I thought of a third thing to stipulate for the drawing of names –
> You should have someone different for your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day gifts.
I am completely balanced betweeen small gifts for all and medium gift for one. Perhaps we try it one way this year, and then the other way next year, as Mom suggested at the start?
And since names haven’t been assigned yet, the Eve gift isn’t really formalized. Both Pack Rat and Time Travel ideas sound fun. I know – that isn’t any help at all. However, sometimes the theme gets difficult once you’re actually in stores, trying to figure out whether you went forward or backwards in time.
but i think Christina has her ornament idea already. You realize what happened… I stressed till i made the decision and then relaxed. Once relaxed I could think.
I will ask your dad whether he would rather draw or give smaller give smaller gifts when i am at the hospital. And actually….. it would do no harm if we gave small gifts and he gave a bigger one. It’s always been like that, you know. He is a kid at Christmas and will not abide by any restriction you think you have agreed on.
Talked to Luke. He favors drawing names, with the condition that nobody fuss at him about how much or how little he is to spend. 🙂 Since there is a clear majority. I will now assume nobody minds if I randomly generate 🙂
Chris got Luke
Christina got Ramona
Ramona got Christina
Kevin got Nelia
Luke got Kevin
Nelia got Chris
This is the first one that a spouse did not get a spouse.
We can all buy for the kids. (and if they want to gift us back, i would be very pleased with something they made themselves.)