Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Online Holiday Shopping- Suggestions??

Thanks Possi- I am checking out Cyber Monday as well. X Box is on the list for the big guy (he is 41!) but the points card sounds interesting, I'll have to check that out for the 12 year old. It's so great to be able to ask you guys for help- I feel so excited to shop now. Your grandchildren have a real sweet Granny!


Hey Ansh! Thanks for the book site- I'll be checking that out for sure. Books are wonderful- deals on books is even better! Hope you have a great day.

Anna

I like Eddie Bauer for gifts for parents/grandparents.
My pre-teen girls like Aeropostale, Old Navy.

I also like Walmart, they ship free to the store nearest you, or some gifts have 97 cent shipping to your house.

I have to agree with EBAY too, sometimes you worry but those sellers really are concerned about a possible bad rating, I have had really good luck with them, and you can find "different/unique" stuff there too. I really like to shop for sterling silver jewelry with semi-precious gemstones on Ebay. Sometimes you can hit an auction just right and score a killer piece of jewelry for under $10. Just make sure they show a picture of the .925 stamp on it to make sure it is real silver and not plated. Don't buy anything that says "german silver."

Does your 16 y/o daughter have one of those beaded watches yet?? Those are all the rage here. You can see examples of them at bumblesdesign.com

At the craft stores now, they have all the things to make the watches too, then you could design your very own for her. Some are big and chunky. Not everybody likes those though, so there are also smaller watch faces and beads to make a tinier one. It's also much cheaper to make your own. Bumbles is around $40, the make your own is closer to $15-20.

For my bookclub friends this year I am making them those shepherd's hook metal/beaded bookmarks. I got them on ebay for dirt cheap ($10 for a package of 10, free s&h) and now I just have to hang some pretty beads/crystals/ribbon from them.

Have fun shopping!!

-Donette

Hey there Grimm, I don't do much of my shopping online...although I must admit it suddenly seems so sensible, I can't imagine why I punish myself by going out?

I do have a fifteen y.o. daughter though and I can probably relate to your stepson being an archaeologist, Classical Historian and an Ex-Naval Officer.

In my daughter's world, video games and music pretty much take up 90% of her time. Clothes are becoming more and more of an issue but I leave that to my wife...A year ago she loved Twilight, but now it's cool to hate it...lol I find that including gift cards for books and video games are always a huge hit. This gives her the ability to exercise choices and practice decision making skills in addition to giving her an excuse to go to the mall with her friends to shop!

As for your stepson (personally, I never use the qualifying term "step", I married a single mom myself so my daughter isn't really my daughter in a strictly biological sense) I noticed you mentioned classical history. I suspect he might be into role-playing games? I know I certainly was at his age...and still am to be honest (I'm such a geek). If he is or is thinking about it, the amount of Dungeons and Dragons materials out there will supply you with gift ideas for years to come.

As for books, I just read Ken Follet's books The Pillars of the Earth and A World Without End, which are based in the middle ages and follow the lives of people through generations in Southern England. They are wonderful and extremely well researched works that would easily appeal to younger readers interested in history.

Video games that have a strong history basis can be so compelling. Anything in the Total War Series is a sure fire hit. Other games I love include Baldur's Gate, Oblivion, Mount and Rider, Stronghold, Assasin's Creed and The Witcher.

Movies like 300, Master and Commander, Braveheart and such are always wonderful to see. These are all rated for older people but blood and violence isn't likely to offend a kid who's mind is caught up with such things anyway. I horrified my grade two teacher during a project where we wrote and illustrated a fairy tale. Mine was about a boy who killed a giant and I made the giant's head bobble with a pop-up tab (plenty of blood and gore as well)...my mother had to come down to the school for that one...lol

I hope something in here will be of use, good luck - you've got your work cut out for you!

Chris

Thanks Donette, pretty good suggestions- I really like the watch idea and the bookmarks. Hope you are getting close to finishing and get plenty of time for yourself.

Hi Chris! Good to know others are facing the teenage drama trauma. Twilight canged everything. Gift buying is pretty tough but the gift cards are a great idea. The 12 year old isn't into role playing games yet. I do think he will at some point. The history based video games is great- a list like that is a huge help, he probably doesn't even know some of those- a chance for a surprise!!

Actually I try not to use the m word because I try to be an additional parent not a replacement, seems to work and besides he lives with us so as he says "Anna is the one who does all the mom stuff." That right there is enough for me. Bet you can relate to that as well.

I just started Pillars this weekend - wonder where that kid gets his history bug???


Thanks so much for taking the time to reply- I hope you have a good shopping season too- online rocks!!!

Anna

Here's a good idea for inexpensive presents for people on your gift list

(and I hope this doesn't sound like an ad or something)

give them these candles, the profits go to helping needy, injured dogs and animals in our area, the same person who originally rescued all four of our American Eskimo dogs

Candles For A Great Cause

if you want, click here to see some of the animals that she and her husband have rescued

BUT

when it says STOP on the page, and warns about some of the pictures of the severely injured ones, take heed!

Meet The Rescues

i love ideas like that, that are for a good cause,

thanks dow!

Wendy, you ARE really good at this!
I posted this last year, but I find myself in the same predicament again this year - my bf's birthday is also right after xmas, so I have a double whammy of trying to figure out what to get the guy for presents.

Last year it was a flight lesson - he loved the present, but actually has never had time to do it. I'm still hoping he'll do it soon (and take me with him).

Any ideas for a 39 yr old guy who has a heart of gold and pretty much every thing else you could possibly think of? I'm not kidding - if there's anything he wants or needs, he just goes out and gets it. Maybe I could find something I could personalize? He's getting pretty tired of me giving him framed pics and photography related things...

If I won the lottery, I'd get him a flight in a fighter jet. lol What he really needs, is a pause button on life, an 8th day of the week, a clone of himself, a teleporter... stuff like that.

This thread is such a great idea - it's always good to brainstorm others for this kind of thing...

Megan,

A couple of years ago I bought my hubby a hot air balloon ride. He thought it was a fantastic present! It was too expensive for me to go too - anyway, I needed to mind the kids.... but we *all* went out early in the morning as a family.

We farewelled Graeme in the balloon and took pics of the whole "us waiting for dad to get into the balloon , balloon taking off - dad waving, balloon aloft, balloon coming in to land" scenario. He of course had *his* camera with him, so he did the aerial shots. We ended up with a great series of photos of the entire event.

There was a champagne breakfast included in the price for the balloon fliers, so we just BYO'ed brekkie and joined in the fun...

So maybe that's how you could weave the whole "photography but not really" theme into his pressie ?!?!?

I don't really get how you think Glen could possibly have *too many* framed pics, as long as *YOU* are the subject matter... Perhaps for a change you could give him one of something you photographed, instead of just the Love of His Life...

homemade cookies! (this is what my hubby would type if he were here)

especially chocolate chip or his mother's old christmas cookie recipes.

Sue - Glen is spoiled, I'm baking as much as possible, lately.

Louise - years ago, I got Glen, myself, and my parents tickets for hot air ballooning, and every day we thought we could go, it was cancelled due to conditions, and then our tickets expired, so that was the end of my bright idea!

The bobsledding idea was the BEST present I've given him - a HUGE hit. So something testosterony might be good.

I suggested dogsledding this year, but hes don't that before and isn't really interested. Ice climbing was out too. So if I got him tix to the ballet nutcracker....ya thats pretty much for me too. lol Oh hey - what about a sailing lesson in Phoenix area! Or maybe that would be more like a present for me again.... haha. Kinda like the massage table he got one year. lol

Bah Humbug. LOL