[Foj]

If you want, feel free to share what kind of presents you got for Christmas.

Okay I'll start. I got an early present in the form of an Amazon gift certificate. The first two things I got with it arrived today!

[drewprops]

Just to be clear, here in Atlanta we begin Christmas around October 3rd.
We get more stuff that way. Interestingly, much of it is jungle and duck-themed.


...

[Yontsey]

I hate Christmas because I tend to get the stupidest shit and I feel bad because my family spends money on things that I'll never ever use but I feel bad telling them that because they are really excited to give them to me.

[curiousuburb]

Technicallly Crimbo here, but I'm still sipping festive xmas eve cheer... checking chimney and watching 1 more epsiode of The Universe marathon. Yay for science on holiday teevee.

Wish I had proper eggnogg, but I think I might still be getting a hangover from Santa... I don't wantna shake the box.

[billybobsky]

Solstice gifts (I am neither Christian nor religious):

Rear fender for my bike.
All things Pirate book (an inside joke).
Wall E Dvd...

Now I need to figure out what to give the gf in return (I wasn't expecting to exchange gifts)...

[Maciej]

Lots of clothes, like a billion pairs of socks, shirts, PJs, and another jacket from pataognia (its super warm). And a miniDP-DVI adapter.

Oh yeah! and I got new snow tires.

[Brad]

I got a rock!





Oh, crap. Wrong holiday.

[psmith2.0]

My family, in addition to not being wealthy and "spend-crazy" to begin with and then some other situations, has really pulled back (and I'm grateful, because I get really and at the insane, over-the-top vibe we were skirting close to at one point).

My sister has a five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son (my niece and nephew), so they get toys and goodies, but the adults are pretty much down to gift cards and, as corny as it sounds, "spending time together, and having fun". We cook and eat, watch movies, tell stories, play music, play Scrabble and stuff, etc. I got a little cash and a couple of gift cards, and, to be completely honest, that's plenty. I'll enjoy a couple of good meals at my favorite restaurants, and I'll get a few things at Target on my own timetable. I'd rather have a gift card to a place I like than something actually from there (I don't trust anyone to buy clothes, electronics, knick-knacks or home decor for me).



I went and did my Toys for Tots thing like I do every year, and, honestly I'd rather spend my money on than on my family and friends who a) pretty much have everything they need, possession-wise (nobody's hurting or going without, in terms of computers, cell phones, iTunes, etc.) and b) we see each other all the time, and do little things for each other all year long.

I'm not particularly religious, but, even so, I don't buy into the whole "BUY BUY BUY! GET GET GET! SHOP SHOP SHOP! OVERSPEND OVERSPEND OVERSPEND!" thing that Christmas has morphed into the past decade or so.



Thankfully, those closest to me share the same feelings, so we just strive to "keep it real". As in "real mellow, real smart and real thrifty".

I got a couple of iTunes cards for people, and then my Mom and Dad (and stepmom) are all going to be undertaking some bathroom and kitchen renovation projects in 2009, so my "gift" to them was both design/mockup assistance (floorplans, isometric drawings and elevation drawings, along with more arty "what if" renderings) and actual physical assistance with demolition, tiling, drywall, painting and whatever other ways I can be of assistance (carrying and installing cabinets, etc.).

I love that kind of stuff (both aspects, the design and the labor), so I'm actually looking forward to it. When I get into my "HGTV/This Old House zone", I'm a sight to behold.



So it's been a very mellow, but fun and meaningful Christmas for me, being around those I love and care about most today (and again tomorrow). And I wouldn't have it any other way...

[Maciej]

I think we've spent more this christmas then any other in recent recollection. I figure spending is the best way to get this economy going, although thats not really the reason this year. I think a lot of stuff has broken this winter, and it just happens that the most things have needed replacement recently. So we haven't really indulged, no toys, movies, gadgets, just necessary things like clothes and a couple things for the kitchen. Hopefully it helps buoy the economy a little...

[lightning_bug]

Originally Posted by Brad I got a rock! Oh, crap. Wrong holiday.

But that's what you got last year...

[evan]

we had our family gift day a few days ago because we're currently on vacation in lutsen minnesota skiing and seeing family (in minneapolis, we'll do that later).

as for my gifts, I got wall-e on DVD, some comfy PJs, guitar hero world tour (game and guitar), and a toothbrush

[Kickaha]

At my wife's family's place this year, and they do their presents in the morning, while my family does theirs on the eve, so... we grabbed a couple of small ones from my family that they sent and opened them secretly tonight.

I got a package full of berry-things from WA: huckleberry syrup, marionberry jam, and freeze-dried blackberries! Woot! (I miss the berries up there terribly.) We also each got a wind-up emergency flashlight for the car.

The rest will wait until tomorrow, when we find out what other insane things my mother thought fit to send. (She goes waaaaaay overboard every year, like 4x the amount of things anyone else in the family buys. It's seriously bizarre.)

[turtle]

I have opened one early and it's this cool weather station.

Plus I got a Motorola H12 Bluetooth headset. I haven't opened it yet but we are still wrapping gifts for the kids and it's getting wrapped to so I can open something in the morning. I'm not sure if I'm getting anything else, my wife might have picked up something for me as a surprise.

[HezMah19]

I got a TomTom Go 730 from mum and dad because I have been doing obscene amounts of driving doing onsite setup and training and have been using dads.
Also a pair of jeans, $50 of iTunes credit, 12" Halo 3 Master Chief (me likes Halo), a pair of shorts and some nifty T-shirts from the other relatives. My Sister scored a Xbox 360 that we have had on lay-by for about 6 months now between us so shes a very happy kid. . My Dad is regrettably in hospital over Christmas so that throttled down our Christmas plans a fair bit...we still had good lunch and then took dads serving up to the hospital and opened presents up there.

It was alot more close and personal this year in a few ways. On the opposite end of the spectrum my Uncle (mums side) flew his family over from Japan to spend Christmas with us (organized before dads unexpected trip to the hospital). So its been a tight nit family affair with long distance relatives! Presents were all round (apart from the 360) very practical and needed ( I've needed new jeans for about a year now ).

And thats my Christmas!

[atomicbartbeans]

Exactly what I asked for.

[killerrabbit]

So far I've been reading too much (*gasp* is there such a thing?) to properly appreciate them, but geeky gifts:

widescreen TV
Ōkami (Wii)
DDR: Hottest Party II (Wii).
external DVD/CD burn drive (Pioneer something-something... )

Ōkami is aesthetically and lyrically delicious. DDR is addictive happy-fun, engrossing to the point that it becomes an additional cardio exercise.

And atomicbartbeans, I raise your honey with some combs:

[Brad]

Originally Posted by lightning_bug But that's what you got last year...

So I did! Well, at least I'm consistent.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by atomicbartbeans Exactly what I asked for.

Goes great on chapped lips! I'm serious! Why don't people believe me! <-- not licking chapped lips

[Foj]

A flashlight


Lava lamp

[Bryson]

Drink the lava lamp....drink it.....


I got...Apple Store vouchers, towards a new 15" MBP. Ohhhhh yeah.

[Kraetos]

Rock Band 2, among other things.

[Robo]

I got $75 in cash/gift cards and Wall-E on Blu-ray.

[Maciej]

Originally Posted by Brad Goes great on chapped lips! I'm serious! Why don't people believe me! <-- not licking chapped lips

I wouldn't want it to attract all the bears around here.

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by Maciej I wouldn't want it to attract all the bears around here.

You don't have to fret, that's only periods.

[Dorian Gray]

Looks like I got the best gift among us then: a real, honest-to-goodness Billingham Hadley Original, in the khaki/tan colourway. Of course I immediately took some photos of it.

[Yontsey]

Dorain, I LOVE that bag!!!

That thing is sharp. Would a macbook fit inside that or is it specifically for cameras?

[SKMDC]

I got the Annie Liebovitz memoir and the really huge Vanity Fair portrait book, a warm hat and some hiking tennis shoe kind of things that are also water proof and wind proof, and feel like putting your feet in pudding. I'm off to walk the dog to try them out.

My kids got Wii, and I'll never see them again.

happy holidays everyone!

[turbulentfurball]

My favourite present:

An envelope with the following written on it:

"I am an iTunes gift card in disguise"

And some cash inside.

[World Leader Pretend]

Holy Crap! This whole christmas time I had been expecting next to nothing. I really just didn't need anything that I could think of. I asked for some socks and a steel water bottle, and that's it.

And I didn't know what to say when my parents surprised me with a brand new 15" MacBook Pro*! It is for college (i graduate this May) and I'm looking at design colleges so the extra power over a MacBook was warranted (well, maybe... I was perfectly fine with our family's old iMac G5). This thing is awesome though! It is sooo fast and thin and crazy. I'm hoping this will last me a good 10 years.

Right now I'm transferring all my music and photos, and getting used to the cool trackpad (which is enormous!) I can't wait to load up Logic Studio and see how fast this puppy really is.

*I still had to pay a few hundred dollars for it, my parents surprised me I guess by also dipping into my bank account.. haha.

[Dorian Gray]

Originally Posted by Yontsey Dorain, I LOVE that bag!!! That thing is sharp. Would a macbook fit inside that or is it specifically for cameras?

It's designed for cameras but the interior can be customised to suit your needs. However, I think a MacBook would be too long to fit. My 12-inch PowerBook fits nicely, but fairly snugly.

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball My favourite present: An envelope with the following written on it: "I am an iTunes gift card in disguise" And some cash inside.

Originally Posted by World Leader Pretend And I didn't know what to say when my parents surprised me with a brand new 15" MacBook Pro*!

Hey, that gift is getting close to the greatness of my Billingham. Nice one!