Christmas shopping

I figured I'd answer Purplewall's comments here instead of in the Comment section.

My budget per child varies because I go for the thrift and bargain. For the younger three's Santa gifts I found new MP3 players (last years all got lost or broken) for $10-20 each (yea Big Lots!!!). I'm assuming I'll have to spend about $40 for an "equivalent gift" for Bear. I'm thinking a dive/ water resistant watch since he's so rough on his watches. I got him a nice cross necklace for his adoption gift in July (which he's misplaced again, but not lost) - so that's out.

I try to get one "nice gift" for the kids from us. This year, Bob's is to finally paint her room. Kitty is getting real makeup. Ponito - I went in with my sister and bought him a $45 dollar toy. Bear wants an expensive cologne/body spray gift set. (Usher or Curves - $30-45).

Then there are lots of little gifts - books, clothes (mostly from thrift stores), special school supplies (usually with favorite characters or higher quality), hair brushes, new tooth brushes, socks and undies for Bear... Some of these will be stuffed in stockings. Some will be bundled into packages with a "theme." I will try to stick to the "three present - just like the wise men gave to Jesus" rule again this year. I think I overbought on Kitty this year, but her birthday is in April so some of it can be stored until then.

And the Christmas Eve gift of PJs and a book.

So I don't really have a budget exactly, but I try to keep the appearances about equal. Last year the big gifts were a bike for Bear, a new (used) bed and fun bedding for Kitty (I've got to remember to add the cute photo of this when I get home), Contacts for Bob, and Heeleys for Ponito (which were the wrong size and he ended up waiting months for). Santa brought a flat screen TV for the whole family. Everyone got an MP3 player loaded with Christian music. The third gift was school supplies and books.

I try to make sure everyone gets a few things they really want and something they can play with. If it sounds sparse it really isn't.

Christmas To Do list.

Our tree is artificial and went up the day after Thanksgiving – when the boxes came out of the attic. Of course 2 days after the tree was decorated ALL the lights stopped coming on. No one knows why, and I haven’t bothered to investigate. Could be as easy as something getting unplugged - or a cat chewing a wire or the first bulb burning out – knocking out the whole tree?


For the kids first Christmas I made those fancy felt stocking with their name on them. It took me months and I only finished Kitty’s (who of course has since changed her firstname!). The next year I finished Bear’s. This year I actually finished Bob and Ponito’s, but now we can’t find Kitty’s! It’s probably in a box they missed when they took down the tree. Or it never made it in the boxes and is buried somewhere in all the clutter. Looking for it is on my To Do list! (Yes, that's a scary place to be!)

I’ve gotten almost all my Cmas shopping done. Bob's list was 137 items long!! So she was easy. Kitty's was only 9 things,but she's fairly easy to shop for too. Ponito's list was long, but fairly expensive (most things were remote control and cost $40-80, but he's still pretty easy going). I've finished all the shopping for the girls and only need a couple of little things for Ponito -but I have almost nothing for Bear!

Bear's list was impossible. On his 9 item list he asked for nothing that cost less than $100! Or for things he can't have.
1. A certain type of phone.
2. Another phone that he would like if he can't have the first one.
3. Still another phone that would work just as well.
4. A bluetooth accessory to go with his new phone. Did I mention we're NOT GETTING HIM A PHONE?! He doesn't need one. Ran up 2! $450 phone bills on the one we got him his first Christmas here, and he uses it to text inappropriate people as well. So NO!!!!
5. A scuba wet suit - $120
6. A BCD vest - $550+
7. A hunting trip - like we'd allow him anywhere near a gun, and we don't have anyplace to shoot anyway, and Hubby would have to get a license, all in all VERY expensive and VERY inappropriate.
8. A pair of Ropers (boots). He has a perfectly good pair of boots that fit and these are expensive.
9. I don't remember what 9 is, but I'm sure it was something he can't have either.

So I confronted him on the fact that his list was all big and expensive and mentioned siblings and other family (hoping he'd give me something I could use too). So he gave me about 6 thing under $10 (mostly socks and underwear type stuff – yea, that’s helpful!). So I’m still stuck. Can’t afford the expensive stuff – still need something fairly nice for a Santa gift. *sigh* Got some ideas, but still not sure what to do. Will have to wait and use part of next week’s grocery money to try again.