iPods, cell phones and guitars to give

not sure about the getting yet

all I really know is that Paul was right, "In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

Giving: donations to charities.

Getting: just a little bit better each and every day.

caddis - I just started typing the McCartney quote when I realized that you had already done it.

Here's some of what i've been readying to bring to the 'rents.

We are at an "ebb" stage with money at the moment, so haven't done anything big. We got ourselves a large ceramic casserole that I will employ sometime in the next few days to make cassoulet with left over turkeyness. And we got a memory card for my camera, which is great, because I was being fairly miserly with my shots, and now I'm shooting like a drunken sailor. ewwww!

For other people, again, not so much - mostly fancy chocolates (some totally astonishing chocolate truffles) and homemade cookies. We got my dinosaur-crazy nephew a fabulous pop-up book of dinosaurs, plus dinosaur temporary tattoos and glow-in-the-dark stickers. We have a couple of friends we won't see 'til after Christmas; one will get a casserole like ours (it's inexpensive, but we tried it last night for our Christmas Eve pork dish, and it was win, so we'll pick up another one for our pal who loves to cook), and still haven't figured out what for the other friend. I'd love to find an excellent small, quirky vintage block print and have it framed, because she is very house proud and loves special one-of-a-kind eclectic/antiquey things. I'm going to prowl the flea market on Sunday in hopes of catching sight of something like that.

i'm not expecting anything but i took the opportunity to get myself some things for once. The Bees is loving the box my tablet came in. She was born at Easter and returned to me for good at winter holidays, so i guess she's the best gift i never expected. It's all give and get and enjoy it while it lasts. We're still getting to know each other all over again.
And apparently, it's hugs time.

eth, I'm so happy the Bees iz home agian!

taz, "now I'm shooting like a drunken sailor" is just a bad image.

Gave, or will be giving: handmade chocolate truffles, a vacuum wine sealer, Super Mario Galaxy, a grill pan, crystal fridge magnets, canvas tote bag, pocket makeup brushes, and the Serenity prequel comic book. This ate up pretty much all the pocket money I made feeding cats for wealthy people this year.

Getting: I don't know. Trying not to expect very much.

Thanks, hat, she seems pretty okay with it so far, and i agree that taz shooting "from the hip" is a wee bit disconcerting--

and i almost forgot to say: Kelly, killer haul! i can already see you blazing away at your new machines in your opera length gloves.

Gave nothing. Got nothing.

Giving: Meerkat Manor on DVD to my dad (it's one of those things that he won't admit that he loves them, but I know he does), Gordon Ramsey cookbooks and autobiography to my mother, the McGuyver t-shirt from Threadless and An Incomplete Education to my brother.

Getting: Giftcards. I'm terrible about choosing what I want. I know I'm getting ones for Sephora and Best Buy. I'll probably also be getting a new set of pajamas. Other than that, who knows?

Yay pie! I'm not the only one! I stopped Christmas and birthdays several years ago and it's wonderful. No hideous commercialisation, no stress, no hassle, no doing other people's shopping for them. It's so good. That's not to say that I don't buy gifts for people, I just buy them when I see something that I know someone will enjoy - I refuse to be tied to buying endless junk at set times of the year.

Got a really pretty violet fluffy robe from hubby-also, he got me cologne. "Adrenaline." (for women, but still. It smells good tho.)

I just realized I forgot to give my husband one of his presents!!!!!

He got the "Disapproving Rabbits" book...it was buried under some other gifts that we were waiting to open when my daughter and son in law got here...so I ran in there and rectified it quickly.

For the aunts/uncles I don't much respect/like I got them a little Christmas trinket. Last year, I gave them plants. These are the same people that told me one year that I wasted my money on 'other people' when I gave a mega-donation to Amnesty International. Classy, that bunch.

The only cousins I have in town are now 17 and 20 so I got them gift certificates. (The first year I haven't shopped for them.) They have turned out okay despite being raised by the above bunch.

I'm giving my parents some good theatre tickets to the West End production of "My Fair Lady" when it tours to Toronto. (They don't need anything else. I always try to take them somewhere.)

My partner and I didn't go all out as we are trying to save up for some beach-type holiday. (We usually do more backpack type travelling.) I got him some nice shirts and I'll pay for some computer-y stuff. (He doesn't know what he wants - external drive, another upgrade?) He got me a French press for my *coffee*. We'll have Christmas brunch today and eat ourselves silly. I bought myself (finally!) a very nice leather laptop backpack. I can look professional and still lug my shit all over town. (I gave in to a backpack because I take public transit and walk all over town.)

My sister who lives on the other side of the planet, but whose house I live in, I will offer to pay for a new door to the living room which finally busted beyond repair. Don't feel sorry for my sister, so far away from family at the holidays, as she is in Krabi, Thailand for Christmas/New Year's!

Most of my other friends and work colleagues I got a really handy nylon bag shopping bag that folds up tiny and has a little clasp to attach to your everyday purse/man-purse/backpack. It's to reduce the need for plastic bags! Handy, hardy. It is not an expensive gift but really, if my friends use it and reduce their plastic bag consumption - well - that would mean a lot to me.

And finally finally - I bought myself (finally!) a very nice laptop backpack. I can look professional and still lug my shit all over town. (I gave in to a backpack because I take public transit and walk all over town.) Otherwise I would try to look professional with a shoulder bag, then have to carry a gazillion other bags for all my crap OR I would lug all my crap in a big old backpack and get mistaken for a student or sometimes as one of the youth that I work with!

Anyway, happy holidays all!! Quiche is ready!

i got my period for Christmas! Just what i wanted!

Our ride is late so late The Bees has changed her clam bucket into a turtle top. Bad blueteeth prevents me from loading it up.

Goddamn, ethylene! Bummer.

I gave my boyfriend me cooking xmas dinner in bra, knickers, suspender belt and stockings (hehe!). I got...well, never you mind!

Also:
mum: a tomtom GPS
sister and nephew: a family horseride through the rainforest
father and his wife: a subscription to the economist
in-laws: a voucher for dinner at a nice restaurant

Gave:

To mr. gaspode: a couple of books, a U Delaware t-shirt, new whiskey glasses.
To Mum: nice smelling soapy creamy things, pier one giftcard, keihls stuff, jewelry box
To MIL: cute giraffe measuring spoons, notecards, earrings, birthday calendar, handcream
To FIL: europe card for his GPS, stephen colbert book
To SIL: a couple of sweaters, throw, flannel sheets, soapy hollow soaps,
To other assorted friends and family: Flight of the Conchords dvds, soaps, peacay's book, christmas tree ornaments, gourmet pickles, hot chocolate, banana bread.

Got:
Golden Compass boxed set
Eleanor of Aquitaine book
Cooking light 2008 book
sweater, couple of other tops
natty boh t-shirt
pants
lovely wrap from Bruges
Orioles calendar
cactus
tealight candle holders
and some cash.