Christmas Giving and Receiving

i always feel joy giving, though receiving is good too. the only matter is my capacity to buy, lol! but no matter how tight the budget is, i still see to it i'd give the people close to my heart something just so they'd know they are in my thoughts. if cashflow permits, i plan to buy my son and dad their own computer set at home so they don't have to go to an internet cafe to send me emails or chat with me. it's hard to be away from them like this and ISP at home would be more convenient. internet somehow reduces the feeling of longing and distance :)

I am trying to give mostly homemade gifts this year. The gift includes my time and energy rather than just my money. In fact I've been encouraging others to do the same by sharing gift ideas that you can make yourself daily. The ideas are posted here: http://creativemomcafe.com

hey jumpinjack! where have you been?? ^__^ well, aside from giving gifts to my friends, family and relatives and godchildren, i am not going to give anyone a very important/expensive gift. i might give my 3-month old niece something which she can use but its just ordinary for an aunt to do so so i guess there's nothing big deal out of it. ^__^ i also bought my nephew something when he was only months old. oh i know, one of my officemates who came from one of our provincial facility and got transferred here in our regional office last year bought me something, i still don't know what it is because she's planning to give it to me on our christmas party. i started looking for something for her yesterday and i would continue my hunt over the week so i guess that would be one of the important gifts i would give this christmas. ^__^ as for me, i am not expecting for a gift as always. i will be just happy whatever i will receive. ^__^

Hi there Jack, this year I am going small. I have made place mats,cotton shopping bags, candles and serviettes for everyone. For the men I bought fruit that is preserved in liqueur. We are going to visit my daughter in the UK and with the Britsh Pound so strong against ZAR currency it is going to be a very expensive trip hence the self made gifts. I am hoping for a white snowy Christmas, as I have never experienced snow before. And you my friend?

I hate both the giving and receiving gifts aspect of christmas. It feels like such an obligation most of the time and it's obviously not supposed to be about that. My nephews are so hard to shop for because my brother and his wife are so picky and particular about everything. Plus i don't have much money this year so it makes gift giving even more of a hassle! and I don't ever ask for much for christmas. Haven't since I was a little kid.

The most important gifts to me are hand made gifts. I don't paticularly like to recieve gifts that cost money. I much prefer getting gifts that are handmade and have some thought put into them. I make for my hubby, a coupon book with coupons for the things he likes best. Like a massage and a foot rub and so on, you get the idea. He loves getting this gift every year and he cashes in those coupons with me. For my kids I make a care package, like a coffee can wrapped with wrapping paper, and filled with goodies I bake. I have made each of the kids 20 dozen perogies one year. They are adults and live away from home.

For me, l would want a memorable gift ; the one that will last the while in my bossom - and that means, something real precious that mankind in general , and me in particular . Adumbrate ? well, something like a Bible,love,laptop,some inspirational books/tapes , and the likes.

Ok..I love this topic. Since I love to write what I think is the most important gift I will give. The most important gift I will give is not something you can wrap up with paper or put a fancy bow on. NO amount of money can purchase it or can you take it to some store as a return. The most important gift that I will give away this Christmas is the same one I gave out last year and it's the gift of my love. I will dial up some numbers and wish them "Merry Christmas" I will send out some ecards and echo the same. but as for gifts which glitter and empty banks accounts ..I will have no part in for it's all part of the "rob the consumer game".

both must be done giving and receiving

I've only one wish for christmas, this year...that we'll be able to follow our dreams and live beyond surviving til next christmas. If we can do that, I won't care if I get nothing. Most important gift for me to give? I think that would be my book, which I'm scrambling to finish, and work for to be able to afford shipping to my best friend who lives in Canada. The book is being written by me on the internet, ut the cover was made by me, and it'll be handwritten by me...and IS an original story. I came up with the idea to give it to her, because she's my editor. She helped me publish a book last year, and she loves my stories, and she loves getting letters and handwritten things...she loves being written to. So I thought.. "Well, she's going to be all alone for the first ever christmas at her dorm. She'll have little, if anything to do..." and I remembered these things, and I realized it was perfect. I'd write her a decent length tale, write it out, and then ship it to her, and tell her not to open it til christmas morning. And then she could spend all day reading it. It's my effort to make her christmas...brighter, not so dreary and lonely. Books have always helped me that way. Not necessarily on christmas, mind...but in general. They've been my solace and sanctuary from the world..as well as helped me to ope with it. Since she's not much of a reader if they're not MY books...it was all I could think of, with my money not being much...well, ever. I'm always broke..so..this was all I could think of. So as I'm hurrying to finish it now. I'm also hurrying to earn up the money to be able to get it to her in time.

Hello My Dear Friend, A long time ago I watched a Walden's episode. It played shortly after the mother on the show passed away. Evidently the mother bought gifts during the year and hid them. She had purchased gifts for two of the children before she passed and other family members found them and presented them to the two. It was sort of a gift from beyond. The mother always chose her gifts for the children very carefully with a lot of thought. I remember clearly that to one of the children a book with an inscription was given. I know this seems corny, but as a result of that show, every year I give books. My shopping is easy, I go to Barnes. Interestingly enough, now that the tradition is alive, my children's friends all ask what book they received this year. The last couple of years, for my son I've purchased books on Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. Every single one of his and my daughter's friends have read those books. Do you know how good that makes me feel? Teenagers are reading without being told they have to. For my daughter over the last few years I purchased dance technique books, and a dance costume pictorial, and low and behold the effect is the same. We only exchange gifts with family members, mother, father, and children, and two dear friends. They are usually small tokens, and as you now know from me an inscribed book. For us we are happy to have time together, and the day is special in that way. It's interesting that on Christmas Day the world also understands that families want to be together. We have a meal together and then we can just all enjoy each other's company, or sometimes we watch or go to the movies. For myself, that is the greatest gift I could receive. time with my family again. They are the greatest!

This year my husband and I have decided to purchase gifts only for our two daughters. They are still young enough that they would be crushed if they didn't get something physical, especially from Santa. Outside of that, the most important gift I hope to recieve, as well as give, if the gift of friendship and love. Here is an article I wrote about it on Helium that would describe more on my thoughts of Christmas gifts: http://www.helium.com/tm/703076/giving-better-receiving-maybe