STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Cricket · Gucci

Have you started Christmas shopping yet?

Sandy · Kate Spade

Funny that you post this now... I started my shopping this week. My goal is to get one present a week from now until December, then get whatever else I need once all the hooplah hits full force at the stores. I figure that way I'll spend less time stressing about gifts and more time soaking up the atmosphere of the season. My mom is another story... she's almost done with her shopping...

member · Hermes

It is funny that you posted this. I sat down last night and started writing down ideas for what to get people. I plan to start soon, slowly. Usually, I wait until after Thanksgiving and then I realize I only have 2 paychecks before xmas. This year, I'm starting early!

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

I am always searching for stuff for the hubby cause I love getting him great stuff, but the real shopping starts the day after Thanksgiving. It's a tradiditon. I go with my Mom, Grandma, Great Aunt, and other Aunt. It's a blast! We get all the good deals and work off the turkey and fixin's calories! I look forward to it every year. After that, I am a shopping freak! I love christmas and shopping for christmas and probably go every weekend after thanksgiving till x-mas. I am also one of those overly festive people who starts listening to x-mas music the day after thanksgiving as well! shhh

TheLovelyLady71 · Hermes

Well, I'll probably start next month sometime, if not, the FIRST week of December; I need to make a 'small' list of people that I'm getting gifts for, etc. Should be FUN! LOL Thank God I opened up that Christmas Account........

erin · Chanel

yes! i decided this year i wanted to start early because everyone is so hard to shop for.

my parents we do the same thing every year, my husband and i take them out to a poshy restaurant that they'd never go to themselves. my in-laws are the WORST. i think for my fil, i am going to try to find this gadget i saw in good housekeeping. it changes the volume automatically when a commercial comes on, and amplifies dialogue during tv shows. my fil is hard of hearing, so i think this will definitely come in handy.

like this: volume control

i may also get him a heated ice cream scooper. for my one sil, i bought her a necklace from poster jlear's lovely jewelry line. my other sil and my mil NO IDEA yet!

Elle · Hermes

Like Luv2Shop, I am a HUGE day-after-Thanksgiving shopper! I poor over all the circular ads and we make a 'plan of attack' so we know where we are going and in what order and what we are getting at each store. It's also the first day I'm officially 'allowed' to break out the Christmas music !

I have already started though - picked up a few things for FH that I was afraid would be gone if I waited. This year brings an extra challenge - finding things that ship easily and inexpensively since we won't be going home for Christmas .

Hedvig · Coach

My Christmas shopping madness usually kicks in only days before Christmas and, logically, ends up in a total chaos and desperation.

Your post was actually a most welcome wake-up call for me, and this year I'm going to do it all properly and without the usual chaos.

FashionPrincess · Hermes

Well, I know one thing I'm giving my mom, grandma and in-laws; me and the hubby are getting professional pictures taken (like the first time ever and we've been married 6 years!) and since I work at a framing gallery, I'm going to frame them really nice. Does that sound vain, giving pictures of ourselves? Hubby doesn't think so because none of our family has any pics of us besides snapshots. Then I'll give them each something else. As for everyone else, I'm not sure yet, but I need to start making a list.

kenzie · Chanel

FashionPrincess wrote:

Well, I know one thing I'm giving my mom, grandma and in-laws; me and the hubby are getting professional pictures taken (like the first time ever and we've been married 6 years!) and since I work at a framing gallery, I'm going to frame them really nice. Does that sound vain, giving pictures of ourselves? Hubby doesn't think so because none of our family has any pics of us besides snapshots. Then I'll give them each something else. As for everyone else, I'm not sure yet, but I need to start making a list.

No, I don't think it's vain. I think it's a good idea.

ico · Dooney & Bourke

I am going back to Italy to visit my family, so I an't really take too many gifts for me. But I started about in Aug, when I'd see something that my sisters/my mom would like, to buy it so taht I don't have to rush at once. Now the big question is what to buy to my dad that is nice but doesn't take too much space/weight too much/cost too much!

Cricket · Gucci

FashionPrincess wrote:

Well, I know one thing I'm giving my mom, grandma and in-laws; me and the hubby are getting professional pictures taken (like the first time ever and we've been married 6 years!) and since I work at a framing gallery, I'm going to frame them really nice. Does that sound vain, giving pictures of ourselves? Hubby doesn't think so because none of our family has any pics of us besides snapshots. Then I'll give them each something else. As for everyone else, I'm not sure yet, but I need to start making a list.

Last year, for the grandparents, aunts and uncles, I gave them professional pictures of my girls in nice frames. Then I got them something smallish from my husband and I. They were a huge hit.

jen · Kate Spade

Awww...I don't want to start early-I LOVE Christmas shopping! I don't want it to end so I probably won't start till after Thanksgiving.

Farrah · Marc Jacobs

Well because I have a HUGE immediate family and I also buy for my whole bfs family I start in late September every year and finish by Thanksgiving. Otherwise I would be totally broke around the holidays and that would suck. I leave shopping for my friends and such until December though just so I have SOME stuff to do to get me in the spirit. I've decided this year that I am going to buy my sister and her family a computer this year though (with the exception of the baby whom I will buy some type of toy for) so that will take care of them pretty fast. My mom and I are going to go on it and I think that they will love it. They totally need one, but my brother in law is a hillbilly and he freaks out if you spend money on anything other than a shot gun or a snowmobile which is why they haven't gotten one yet. So sad...

FashionPrincess · Hermes

Nylabelle & Cricket, thanks, I feel less vain now

Cricket · Gucci

Oh, and I forgot... for my grandparents, they got pictures of my girls and a nice candid picture of my husband and I. They didn't have a recent one of us, so they were thrilled. Family members, especially parents and grandparents, are always proud to show off their kids/grandkids, so I think that's always a nice gift.

sage · Dooney & Bourke

I started Christmas shopping tonight!! Got a few gifts and some ideas. I don't have a big list so it really isn't hard to do. I have culled my list to include only the people I really want to give gifts to, and not the ones I feel I have to gift, because of some societal pressure or simply because they gave me a gift at some point. Last year I honestly wanted to stop the whole Christmas gift thing and give gifts to the people I love at varying times throughout the year, when I found something that truly reminded me of them, or I saw they needed something. But, once again, I am giving in.

And Fashion Princess I think the photo idea is great. My mom actually requested a framed photo of SO and I for Christmas. The one she has was taken 7 years ago. And she will not take it down unti I give her a new one. He looks cute in it, I look crazed.

rocky · Coach

I have only pre-ordered an XBox 360 for the SO because he was majorly hinting. I will probably get my mom a coach wallet to go with the bag I got her last year. As for the rest, I am leaving for China in 2 days, and I plan to get a lot of unique christmas gifts there.

Andrea Julia · Coach

I usually wait until the last minute and end up wandering around like a zombie looking at the same things over and over in the last hours of Christmas Eve until I start to think crazy things like "maybe my 19 year old brother really would like a men's manicure set." Yeah, I should definitely start soon.

laken1 · Hermes

I have done minor (ie, one gift) shopping, but I'm making most of my gifts this year, so I'm about to get started on that. I'm knitting stuff for lots of people - I made a poncho for my niece's American Doll (part of her gift, I'll also buy her something) but I need someone to help me with the finishing so it will be done this weekend, and Saturday I'm picking up the yarn to make 2 scarves to get moving on these damn gifts! I'm going to start picking up things here & there to try to spread out the spending. My husband didn't get his bonus until like 1 week before Christmas last year, so I really can't wait for that.

LMonet - I mailed my gifts last year ahead of me when I was going home & dealt with the mailing stuff for the first time. It's SO MUCH CHEAPER if you can bunch your gifts in one box - like I mailed everything to my sister's office for about $15. Just a thought if you can send stuff to one family member if everyone goes to one gathering anyway? I know it's much to wish for, but maybe you can do a few boxes? Just trying to help.

FP - I agree that photos are a great gift. I always feel funny giving something like that, but everyone else seems to love it!

-- Edited by laken1 at 09:48, 2005-10-13