JB and I were talking last night about our Christmases growing up. It went like this:Amy: I bet Boo would like a bowling set for Christmas (I say things like this all the time. There are a million things "I bet Boo would like")
JB: No, those are a pain, cause you have to set up every pin once you knock them down. I got one for Christmas one year.
Amy: You did?
JB: Yeah...(reflective) we had some pretty big Christmases growing up. I got pretty much everything I wanted at Christmas.
Amy: Hmph.
On the one hand, I love a good surprise when it comes to receiving gifts. There just seems something fundamentally wrong with saying, "I want this, in this size, here's the website, here's the price. This is what you are getting me." It seems to take away from the whole spirit of...giving! However, I've also known people who have received gifts that they really dislike, will never use, never ever wanted, etc.
I wanted to see what you all thought about making Christmas lists. I remember making them growing up, but there was never an expectation that we would receive anything on it, although we usually got at least one thing. We were grateful for whatever we got. That's just how it was.
Now that I'm married, it's sometimes nice to get some help by having a list of things JB would like. It's also nice to feel like he at least knows what I would like, since most moms put themselves absolutely last with such things. I feel like it's my one time of year to really WISH and not feel guilty about it. Sometimes it's nice just to make a "list", that you can just write down and toss out there to whichever SANTA CLAUS wants to read it. It's just fun to stare at, think about, edit, etc. Maybe I just need to grow up and buy Boo a bowling set and be done with it.
I don't know, what do you think?
Christmas lists?
Yea or Nay?
Do you make one? Who do you share it with, etc?
What's on your list this year?
I'll share mine if you share yours! ;)
7 comments:
Christmas lists are a definite in our family. Growing up my grandmother would start asking for one pretty early and we usually got something off of it... something big my parents couldn't afford. My mom has already started doing this for Little Man and I'm happy to let her do it.
Having it pounded in my head for so long, I did the same to Wil when we got married. It's now turned into a ongoing wish list that we use all year long for any occasion that requires a gift. We used to just send each other links or suggestions, until Wil started an Amazon wish list. It's a little bit limited (lots of books, movies, music) but it really helps. Of course I also try to get a surprise, something he will like, but wouldn't think of to ask for. As for my list, it's a combination of stuff I would like, need and big things I only dream of. Here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/UNAJO2EB01BB
Christmas lists are a definite in our family. Growing up my grandmother would start asking for one pretty early and we usually got something off of it... something big my parents couldn't afford. My mom has already started doing this for Little Man and I'm happy to let her do it.
Having it pounded in my head for so long, I did the same to Wil when we got married. It's now turned into a ongoing wish list that we use all year long for any occasion that requires a gift. We used to just send each other links or suggestions, until Wil started an Amazon wish list. It's a little bit limited (lots of books, movies, music) but it really helps. Of course I also try to get a surprise, something he will like, but wouldn't think of to ask for. As for my list, it's a combination of stuff I would like, need and big things I only dream of. Here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/UNAJO2EB01BB
I don't require a Christmas list, but my step-mom does. I think it's more fun to just guess what people would like. I mean, the whole point of Christmas to me is gift GIVING and part of that is enjoying finding things that you think someone would like. My in-laws give me lists for everything - birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day. It's kind of annoying because sometimes I have fun ideas that I don't end up implementing because they have told me already what they want.
Heidi, I agree there has to be some sort of happy medium. A list for Mother's/Father's Day is a tad extreme. And sometimes the gift search is fun, but other times, I'd just love a tiny clue about what the person would like to help me out.
We did Christmas lists growing up. One person was upstairs in the baby's room and would list (over the baby monitor) what they wanted for Christmas. The rest of the family would discuss the list and we'd pick one item to get that person (as a family) for Christmas. I don't know why, but the baby monitor thing seemed really cool at the time!
Now we don't really do lists, except for the kids. I try to guide my parents and in-laws about what the kids need. "Goose still fits in her THREE dressy Christmas dresses you got her last year, but she could use some warm school dresses," or "She could really use the Book of Mormon reader from the distribution center" and the like. For parents and the sibling swap (we pick one name) we told them to just get us emergency preparedness stuff. It's what we really need but can't afford right now.
As for my husband ... the last few years he's asked me very last minute and I've given him an idea or two and that was EXACTLY what he got me. That was nice, but this year I'm begging him to surprise me. Since I already know what EVERYONE else is getting, it's nice to have at least one surprise.
Christmas lists are only good if you get something off of it. I rarely did & fought the Queen a bit when she started asking for one.
I you ask, be prepared to use it.
christmas lists are just ideas for me - not set in stone...although wil is right, if you ask for one, you should buy at least one thing off the list...even if it is something small.
plus, as a kid, writing a list to santa was fun. writing a list to grandmother was fun too because she almost always surprised us with something above and beyond. if i asked for a new baby doll, i got the coolest baby doll out there and it was probably in a pretty new stroller.
now, lists are just guidelines. i like to have an idea of what people are looking forward to maybe getting and then combining or transforming it into something a little more personal (and usually better suited to my budget).
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